


Everything Led To You

by Bokuto-san (Lady_Lightning)



Series: Haikyuu Red Strings of Fate [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Absent Parents, Akaashi Keiji Is So Done, Akaashi Keiji is Bad at Feelings, Akaashi Keiji is a Good Friend, Akaashi Keiji is a Little Shit, Akaashi Keiji is a Mess, Akaashi is OBLIVIOUS, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bokuto Koutarou Being Bokuto Koutarou, Bokuto Koutarou Being an Idiot, Bokuto Koutarou is a Good Friend, Bokuto Koutarou is a Mess, Bokuto has absent parents, Bokuto needs a hug, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Roller Coaster, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Red String of Fate, Sick Bokuto Koutarou, Sick Character, but only for like a chapter or two, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:07:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 23,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27204986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Lightning/pseuds/Bokuto-san
Summary: Everything led Bokuto to Akaashi. Their String of Fate connected them the moment Bokuto laid eyes on Akaashi. There are 2 problems though...1) Things with Akaashi are more complicated than they seem2) Bokuto has a secret that he doesn't want anyone to knowWill Bokuto get the Fated Soulmate ending that he had always dreamed of or will something else get in the way?
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou
Series: Haikyuu Red Strings of Fate [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1986097
Comments: 13
Kudos: 108





	1. How We Met

**Author's Note:**

> Hehehe- shout out to my friends on insta who wanted to read this! MWAH! I love you all-
> 
> This is going to be a bit of an emotional whirlwind so hold on tight! 
> 
> A few things to know- The Red String of Fate generally shows up when someone turns 16- only if Fate decides that they are ready to know. Nobody younger than 16 will ever be able to see their String... BUT that doesn't mean EVERYONE will see their String as soon as they turn 16. Keep that in mind! Now... Enjoy the show! :)

Bokuto felt different when he woke up this morning. It was the day they were welcoming new members to the team, and as the Ace of the team, and the captain next year(he didn’t care if that’s not how it worked, he was going to be captain) he wanted to see who he’d be working with for the next two years of his high school volleyball career.

He’d turned 16 last year and was waiting for his Red String to finally show who exactly he was connected to. He hadn’t met them yet, so the string was basically endless, but he’d been able to see his String since he started high school. 

The Red Strings of Fate connected him with his ideal soulmate, and while he could see his, that didn’t mean his soulmate could see theirs. They showed up when Fate decided they were ready to know. Apparently, Bokuto had been ready to know for a while now. Something in his gut made today feel different and he wondered if it had to do with his String.

~~~

Bokuto walked to school with his bookbag and duffle of volleyball equipment, umbrella in hand as it poured. The rain didn’t match how he was feeling today- it being all gloomy and grey out while Bokuto was buzzing with energy and excitement for the day ahead. They had morning practice for those already on the team, then afternoon practice they would welcome the new recruits.

He got to school quickly, changed into his practice clothes, and set to his usual warm-ups. He was distracted, that feeling in his gut making him too giddy to truly focus but he was still able to perform as usual. He’d miss or mess up here and there, but his team would pull him from his funk by the end of practice.

~~~

Classes dragged on for Bokuto, who would tap or fidget the whole time. It was only the first day of classes in his second year but it felt like the school year was halfway through and that the classes were already at their peak boringness. Bokuto ate lunch with a few of his classmates and then proceeded to his last few classes for the day.

By the time they ended, he was a few minutes late for volleyball. It was only the first day, he was unsure how class ended up running long but he headed straight to the gym, his duffle slung across his back. He was running through the halls, a teacher here or there reminding him to slow his pace.

~~~

Bokuto stepped into the locker room once again to get ready, this time putting his jersey on. Coach decided that the team would practice in their uniforms that day and hand the new recruits their uniforms to get changed into. It wasn’t an everyday thing but it was something the coach thought might help the newbies feel as though they were already part of the team. Bokuto loved the idea because though they couldn’t wear them every day, there was nothing that felt better than putting his jersey on.

He slipped into his number 4 jersey instead of the normal blue t-shirt and white shorts and headed for the gym, wondering how many new teammates he'd be welcoming as well as who they were. He found himself running excitedly to the gym, passing a few of his other teammates as he lept through the gym door with a “Hey, hey, hey!” to his coach and the managers.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t looking where he was going and smashed into someone standing close to the doorway. He was thrown off balance and ended up falling on his ass as the person stumbled forward a bit. He landed with a bit of a grunt, his hands behind him to keep him from sprawling back on the floor.

When he regained a bit of his composure, he looked up at who he bumped into, more than ready to apologize for his lack of attention. Any words got stopped in his throat as the boy turned to look at him, brilliant blue eyes locked onto Bokuto’s golden ones. The boy had black hair, the most amazing eyes, but a terrifying scowl on his face.

Bokuto didn’t notice anything but the boy’s eyes- that is until he felt something happening to the Red String connected to his finger. The giddy feeling in his stomach intensified as he finally dropped eye contact with the boy to briefly look at his left hand. He watched as the Red String lit up and started to finally extend, turning grey as it attached itself right onto the black-haired boy’s left pinkie.

Bokuto’s eyes widened as he finally looked back to the boy he’d bumped into. “Uh,” Bokuto mumbled before finally finding his words again. “I’m so sorry! I was excited and wasn’t watching where I was going,” Bokuto explained as he stood back up, a big grin on his face as the black-haired boy just stared at him blankly.

~~~

Practice started awkwardly after that, Bokuto being stared at by the new kid that he’d bumped into, Bokuto not dropping his gaze either. The coach had them warm-up and then they gathered around for the introduction of their new teammate. Bokuto was surprised that they were only welcoming one new player this year, Akaashi Keiji. He was going to be their setter, and Bokuto was excited to see how Akaashi played, and how he’d be able to spike the ball with the new setter. 

Bokuto was wearing the number 4- the ace’s jersey and Akaashi had been given jersey number 5 by the coach. As they set up to practice, the third-year captain tried to dispel the clear awkwardness between Bokuto and Akaashi since their run-in. Practice went smoothly after that, Bokuto hitting plenty of spikes and doing great on his receives. He was pretty constant when his mood swings were in order, but his thoughts were still out of wack. 

He really needed to talk to someone about his string, because there was something wrong. He’d never heard of a string that was red and grey. He wondered if he could possibly get his mother to talk to him about it when he got home. Maybe she would know.

Bokuto remained his normal self through practice and then with a loud goodbye to everyone- especially Akaashi- he left the gym and headed back to his home. He was filled with anxious energy and hoped that his mother could help explain what was going on with his string.

~~~

As soon as Bokuto walked into his house he called out, “Mom?!” He yelled, hearing a vague response from upstairs. She was probably in her room, he thought as he dropped his bags by the door and headed up the stairs. He’d take care of them later- for now he wanted to try to talk with his mother.

Before he was even able to make it all the way up the stairs, his mother showed up at the top of the staircase with a few suitcases. “You’re leaving again?” Bokuto asked quietly. 

“Yes, your father and I have some business to take care of overseas. We’ll be gone for a while and I left you plenty of money on your debit card to buy food,” She replied without looking up from her phone.

“I was hoping to talk to you,” He admitted. “It’s really important,” he said, looking away in dejection.

“I’m sorry Kōtarō, but it’ll have to wait,” she replied, heading down the stairs as she handed the suitcases to Bokuto to carry. “Your father is pulling the car around to the front, be a dear, and carry these to the front door for me?”

“Of course, Mom,” He responded, taking the luggage and setting it by the door next to his school bags. “When will you be back?” 

“I’m not exactly sure but let us know if you start to run low on money and I’ll have some more money put on your debit,” She told him, opening the door and dragging her suitcases to the car that had just pulled up. “By Kōtarō,” She finished as she got into the passenger seat of the car and it pulled away.

“Bye, Mom,” Bokuto sighed as he slowly closed the front door. He felt like he was drowning as he slumped off to his room. He flopped onto his bed with a big sigh, eyes burning. He really wished his mom and dad were there for him to talk to sometimes. Not only was he alone now, but he also had nobody to help him figure out what was going on between his and Akaashi’s string.

Bokuto rolled about for a bit before finally getting up to shower. He returned to his bed after, ignoring the need for dinner and falling asleep quickly, trying his best to block out the whirlwind of emotions he was feeling.


	2. Becoming Teammates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto is trying to get to know Akaashi- they are teammates now, after all. 
> 
> The problem is, Bokuto is still confused and that brings certain thoughts to the light.
> 
> Akaashi does a little observation of Bokuto, too- can he figure out how Bokuto works?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, it's a bit of hurt here. It'll build up to a good story I think(and hope).
> 
> Let's see where it goes, yeah?
> 
> Enjoy! :)

When Bokuto woke up the next morning he had mixed feelings about his day yesterday. He tried not to linger on it as he rolled out of his bed and got ready for the day. He was always excited for morning practice, though today Akaashi was joining them.

He’d have to be careful around Akaashi until he figured out what was wrong with their string. 

~~~

Bokuto had a hard time staying away from Akaashi. Not that he really tried. As the setter for the team, and as the ace, they were basically always together. It also helped that Bokuto really did just like hanging around with Akaashi.

The setter seemed to have nothing against him and interacted with him the same way as everyone else so Bokuto saw no reason to treat him any differently than he did with the rest of his team and friends.

“AKAASHIIIII!” Bokuto yelled after another successful spike, “Did you see that, Akaashi???” He asked excitedly. 

“Yes, Bokuto-san. It was amazing,” He said with a straight face. Bokuto’s stomach erupted with butterflies at the compliment. He continued his happy yells of success to the rest of the team as practice continued.

“All right, that's enough! Everyone change and head to class!” Their coach dismissed.

“Thank you!” Everyone yelled back in response, heading straight for the locker rooms. 

Bokuto finished changing quickly and noticed Akaashi heading off on his own, “Hey, Akaashi!” Bokuto yelled. “Want me to walk you to class?” He asked. Akaashi was the only newbie, he must have felt out of place and Bokuto wanted him to feel like he was part of the team.

“You don’t have to do that, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi said calmly, turning to face Bokuto. 

“It’s nothing! You’re part of the team! I want you to feel like you’ve always been here with us!” Bokuto told him cheerfully. Truthfully, Bokuto would have done this even if Akaashi wasn’t his soulmate. It just wasn’t in him to let the newbies feel out of place.

Akaashi gave a vague nod so Bokuto stepped up next to him as Akaashi led the way to his classroom. 

Once they were out of the locker room Kaori spoke up, “Bokuto seems to be awfully friendly to Akaashi already,” He noted. Everyone nodded along in agreement.

“He normally walks to class alone,” Yukie added. 

“He did say that he wanted Akaashi to feel like a part of our team,” Tatsuki reminded them. Still- everyone glanced at the door Bokuto and Akaashi left through and then continued to get ready for class.

~~~

Bokuto sped through his classes then at lunch, went to find Akaashi. When he walked back to the classroom he had dropped Akaashi off at, he was surprised to see him sitting at his desk alone with his lunch.

“Hey, hey, hey, Akaashi!” Bokuto yelled, getting a glare from the teacher. He sent an apologetic smile and wave then proceeded to approach Akaashi’s desk.

“Hello, Bokuto-san,” 

“Mind if I join you?” Bokuto asked.

“I suppose not, but what about your friends in your class?” Akaashi asked in response.

“Nah, they won't miss me for a day,” Bokuto replied. “How’s your class going,” Bokuto asked as he pulled out his own lunch.

“Fine, I suppose,” Akaashi told him. “Why are you here?”

“I wanted to be,” Bokuto said with a shrug, taking a bite out of his sandwich. “Does it bother you?”

“No,” Akaashi told him. “I guess I’m just not used to the company,”

“I’ll keep you company, Akaashi!” Bokuto said brightly, this time earning a scolding from Akaashi to quiet his voice and another glare from the teacher. “Anyway, you’re part of the team! We need to get to know each other if we are going to play volleyball together for the next two years!”

“I suppose,” he agreed quietly. “Are you always this loud?” He asked directly. 

“Akaassshiiiii!” Bokuto whined. “Not a lot of my classmates like to eat with me,” He admitted. “I’m always pretty loud and energetic and a lot of people don’t really deal with it well. The third and second years on the team normally eat together but I didn’t want to leave you on your own,”

Akaashi didn’t respond, just taking another bite of his own lunch. Bokuto was never really a fan of the quiet, it was always so lonely, but sitting with Akaashi, even if they weren’t talking, was anything but lonely. It was really peaceful and gave Bokuto a great sense of accomplishment.

They finished their lunches and Bokuto said goodbye to Akaaashi with a sigh, smiling when he told Akaashi that he’d see him in afternoon practice.

~~~

“Has anyone seen Bokuto?” Tatsuki asked. 

“No, he disappeared just like he always does during lunch,” Kaori told him.

“I wonder where he always goes. Bokuto is so loud all the time I’m surprised he manages to sneak away so easily,” Konoha pointed out.

“Yeah,” Yuki sighed out. “How does he do it…”

~~~

Afternoon practice was the same as the morning. Bokuto’s mood swings were evident and the third and second years were having a hard time pulling him out of the gutter. They hoped Bokuto would be back to his boisterous self soon, but they were really worried about how they’d be able to handle it in a game. 

The second and third years noticed how Akaashi was paying close attention to Bokuto as if trying to figure out how he worked. “Don’t even try it,” Kaori told Akaashi. “We still can’t even figure out how Bokuto works,”

“He’s easy enough to read and yet nobody seems to know how to handle him when he goes emo,” Konoha continued as they all surrounded Akaashi. Bokuto was off to the sidelines sulkily drinking his water while Akaashi watched, the rest of the team surrounding him.

~~~

Akaashi wasn’t exactly sure what was up with Bokuto-san but he was certainly going to need to figure out how he worked. The team seemed unable to figure out how to get Bokuto-san out of what they all called his “emo mode” and if they couldn’t figure it out, Akaashi knew, just as everyone else, that it would affect how they play their games.

Akaashi just couldn’t seem to understand why Bokuto-san was getting so dramatic. Mistakes were normal but Bokuto-san was also one of the top aces in the country. He rarely made mistakes in practice and yet Bokuto seemed to take even the small ones as complete failures. 

Akaashi had a lot to learn about his new teammates before he could truly completely serve the team as their setter. He knew the best way for a team to be successful was for them to know each other well. Bokuto was first on that list, especially knowing that he was going to be the most difficult to understand.

His new team was depending on him to understand them- understand Bokuto- so that they could be that much better.

~~~

Bokuto was too distracted. The afternoon practice, while it continued as normal, was the furthest thing from his mind. Every time he saw Akaashi he was reminded of the red and grey String attached to their fingers. He ran up for a spike, flying through the air as he was lost in his thoughts.

Bokuto supposed that it wasn’t the String that really gave him the trouble, at least for the most part. He was mostly focused on how, even when he approached his parents for the most important things, they could still brush him off. Another spike, this one hit the ground harder than the last, the noise echoing heavily.

They were hardly around, leaving Bokuto on his own now that he was old enough to not need a sitter. His father did plenty of work overseas and his mother always went with him, leaving Bokuto on his own the majority of the time. He ran up for another spike, leaping high.

Bokuto wondered if they even remembered that he existed sometimes. His palm connected with the ball, sweat, and a few tears trickling down his face as he heard the ball slam to the ground again. When he landed, he quickly wiped his face with his t-shirt, trying to wash away the stray tears that leaked out before anyone could see them. 

He celebrated his spike just like all the others, and finally, his thoughts seemed to wash away in the light of practice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	3. What's Wrong With Bokuto? (Part 1/3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akaashi knows there's something wrong with Bokuto. He's just not sure how wrong...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't ask but this is what came to mind, okay?
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Over the next few weeks, Bokuto and Akaashi got really close. They ate lunch together and walked to and from school together. Bokuto’s other teammates hadn’t actually seen him this close to another person before. 

While Bokuto was always friendly to other people and loved to be social, he wasn’t actually someone to spend any other time with his class or teammates. He was pretty private about his home life and they all started to realize how little they actually knew their Ace.

That was until Akaashi.

The third and second years were amazed at how much Bokuto actually talked and depended on Akaashi. They weren’t sure how Akaashi could deal with it, Bokuto was always overly boisterous and over the top that many people weren’t a fan of hanging around too long to deal with all that energy.

~~~

Bokuto still wasn’t sure what the grey on his and Akaashi’s string meant. He hadn’t gotten the chance to ask his mom, she’d come back a week or two ago and immediately left again. Sometimes he wondered how she could live with that much travel. 

He had his debit card refilled twice since his mother left, knowing that his parents were going to be gone for at least another month. He really wondered what was happening with them. Did they want to see him? Would they ever make time to talk to him? Should he ask someone else about his string, and if so, who would he ask?

Bokuto walked with Akaashi on their way to school. It was raining again today, and Bokuto was feeling quite off. His face felt really hot, and he was pretty dizzy. His stomach was in knots. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever felt this bad before.

Akaashi seemed to notice that he was off, even going as far as to ask Bokuto why he was so quiet. “Are you alright Bokuto-san? You’re really quiet,” 

“I’m okay,” Bokuto confirmed. “It’s just a rainy day. So sad, you know? Like where’s the sunshine?” Bokuto said in hopes that it would change the subject. 

“Bokuto-san it's been raining for the past two days,” Akaashi reminded him. “You even went to play in the rain during practice two days ago. Are you sure something else isn’t bothering you?”

“I did do that, didn’t I?” Bokuto said distractedly. “Well, I’m excited for practice! I’ve been working on my straight spikes!” He tried to be more energetic and lively, even though his body seemed to protest at every movement.

“You’ve been doing very good with your straights, Bokuto-san. They’re really improving,”

“Awww thanks, Akaashiiii!” Bokuto beamed at the compliment, opening the doors to the school and letting Akaashi inside first. “Let’s hurry for practice!”

Akaashi let the matter drop, clearly whatever was wrong with Bokuto, he wasn’t ready to talk about it.

~~~

Bokuto was breathing really heavily all throughout practice and it had Akaashi on edge. He was pushing himself to jump higher, hit harder, and run faster. He doesn’t think Bokuto has ever exerted himself to put out his usual results before. 

He was sweating, his face was red, he looked like he was in pain. Bokuto was bad at hiding it, especially from Akaashi who spends his whole time observing Bokuto, learning how he functions. Akaashi had noticed that every few minutes Bokuto would grasp at his stomach almost like it was cramping in pain.

“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi called. “Are you feeling okay? You keep holding your stomach,” Akaashi had made sure to say that in front of all of the team, making it harder for Bokuto to deny it. Akaashi’s efforts seemed to be wasted because as soon as Bokuto tried to respond, a wet burp erupted from his mouth, Bokuto’s hand shooting up to cover it.

A minute more and the floor was covered in puke, Bokuto’s panicked eyes lifted, seeking the utter calm in Akaashi’s. The coach motioned for Akaashi to take Bokuto to the nurse while he went to get a janitor.

The walk to the nurse’s office was harder than Akaashi anticipated. Bokuto was leaning against him with all his weight, almost completely out of it, and nearly asleep. He was burning up, and tears were streaming down his face. Akaashi assumed it was from the fever, Bokuto wasn’t one to really cry or even seem sad.

At least Akaashi knew what was wrong with Bokuto now, he didn’t really have to worry about figuring it out. He’d just drop Bokuto off at the nurse and then Bokuto’s parents would come to get him and take him home.

“Just a little bit further, Bokuto-san. The nurse is just at the end of the hall.” Akaashi told him, knowing Bokuto probably wouldn’t register what he was saying. His eyes were glazed over and almost all the way closed.

Akaashi didn’t say much when he walked into the office with Bokuto hanging onto his shoulder, and by the look on the nurse’s face, he didn’t really need to. She just led them to the back where he could lay Bokuto down on the bed.

Bokuto was asleep almost as soon as he was put onto the beds. “He threw up at practice,” Akaashi finally reported to the nurse, “I think it’s a stomach bug or maybe the flu,”

“Good Job getting him here, he must have been pretty heavy to carry on your own, the nurse said. “His parents are out of the country still, so I’ll have to figure out a way to arrange to get him home,” The nurse said absentmindedly, moving back to her computer. 

“He didn’t tell me that his parents were out of town,” Akaashi said. 

“Bokuto’s parents are out of the country often,” the nurse told him. “More often than not they are away from home, Bokuto has to let the school know when they leave in case of an emergency, but he doesn’t even have an emergency contact,”

Akaashi just took that in for a moment. No wonder Bokuto was always so loud, he probably never got to see his parents. It’d make sense that Bokuto was trying to socialize so much at school because he was always home alone. 

“I can come back after class and take him back to my house,” Akaashi offered without thinking. “We live close to each other and it’s better than having him home alone and sick,” Akaashi continued.

“Are you sure about that Akaashi?” The nurse asked. 

“I can call my mother and she can pick us up from school at the end of the day,” Akaashi confirmed.

“Alright, just come here after your classes and have your mother come inside. I’ll have to have her sign to take him from school,” the nurse said, turning away from Akaashi and typing away at her computer.

~~~

At lunch, Akaashi called his mother to inform her of Bokuto’s condition. “Bokuto got sick at practice this morning and has been at the nurses all day,” He told her. “His parents are out of the country right now,”

“Doesn’t he have another person on his contact list?” His mother asked.

“No,” Akaashi told her. “The nurse said that he didn’t have anyone else on the contact list. Apparently, they are out of the country a lot,”

“That explains a lot,” Akaashi heard his mother say, “Alright, I’ll come to get you two once your classes are over. Bokuto is going to need someone there while he is sick so I’ll take off work until he gets better,”

“Thank you, Mother,” Akaashi said, hanging up the phone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	4. What's Wrong With Bokuto? (Part 2/3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto is down with a serious stomach flu and Akaashi calls in his Mother for some help. Akaashi didn't realize just how far she would go to make sure Bokuto was okay. Akaashi is getting to see a new side of Bokuto that he wasn't expecting to see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dunno I just like it~
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Akaashi let the coach know that he’d be taking Bokuto home and then left the gym, his teammates wishing him and Bokuto well as they left. He made his way to the nurse's office in hopes that his mother would be there soon to pick them up.

“How is he?” Akaashi asked quietly after he walked into the nurse’s office. 

“He woke up multiple times to throw up and his fever has gotten higher, unfortunately,” The nurse reported. “He’s going to need to be monitored over the next few days,” 

“Oh,” Akaashi sighed. “I’ll go see him,” he said before walking into the back room where Bokuto was shivering under a blanket, trash can next to his cot near his face. “Bokuto-san?” He whispered, trying not to be too loud. Bokuto’s eyes, teary, made their way to Akaashi’s once he heard his name.

“‘Kaashi?” Bokuto whispered miserably before going into a coughing fit so violent that he ended up puking again. “‘Kaashi,” Bokuto cried, shaking. Akaashi was there rubbing his back as he puked, trying to comfort him as much as he could. He wasn’t very good at these types of things, but he always made the effort.

He looked up to see his mother talking with the nurse and moved to join them, “I’ll be right back, Bokuto-san,” He whispered.

“B-but ‘Kaashi,” was all he heard before he walked away to talk with his mother and the nurse.

“Put me down as his emergency contact,” Was the first thing Akaashi heard his mother say. “It’s ridiculous that this child had to be here all day with nobody to watch over him, especially because his parents are never home,”

“Mother,” Akaashi greeted, watching the rest of the interaction quietly.

“Anytime that Kōtarō needs to be sent home, call me first.” She insisted.

“That’s very kind of you, Akaashi-san,” the nurse replied. “Kōtarō’s parents are rarely in the country, let alone take care of him when he gets ill. He’s had to stay in the nurse’s office at least three times since his first year because his parents were unable to get him when he gets ill,” The nurse admitted.

“That’s just ridiculous. He’s always welcome in my home. Please notify me the moment he needs someone,” Akaashi’s mother told her before moving to her son. “Hello, Keiji. Let’s get Kōtarō home, okay?”

“Okay,” He replied, showing his mother the way to Bokuto’s cot.

“Hello, Kōtarō, It’s Keiji’s mother, do you remember me?” She asked him quietly as she brushed some hair out of his sweaty face.

“Akaashi-san?” Bokuto asked, clearly in a daze.

“Let’s get you home,” She replied, motioning for Keiji to help her get him up and to the car. Bokuto was a growing boy, but already pretty heavy, even for the two of them to carry. Getting him into the car was a bit of trouble as Bokuto wasn’t able to control himself at all. They cracked the windows in hopes that the fresh air would help Bokuto’s nausea and keep him from getting sick in the car. 

Thankfully Akaashi’s mother had come prepared and had a bucket in the back seat just in case. Akaashi joined Bokuto in the back seat and watched as Bokuto slept against the car door, the wind whipping his hair around. He hoped Bokuto would get better soon.

~~~

“Let’s get him cleaned up a bit,” Akaashi’s mother said, leading them to the bathroom. “Do you have any clothes that will fit him, Keiji?”

“Probably not,” he replied as he helped sit Bokuto on the closed toilet seat, his mother keeping Bokuto up by the grip on his shoulder. “He should have his other set of practice clothes in his gym bag, though,” Akaashi said. “He’ll be more comfortable in his gym clothes,”

“Alright, go check his bag,” she told him as she turned to Bokuto. “Kōtarō, sweetie, I’m going to take your shirt off and wipe your neck down, okay?” She told him “It should help you feel a bit better,” All she got in reply was a grunt of acknowledgment.

Two minutes later, Keiji walked back into the bathroom with Bokuto’s spare clothes just as she was setting the washcloth on the counter. “I’ll leave getting him changed to you, I’m sure he’ll want some privacy,” she said, leaving and closing the door behind her.

“Bokuto-san?” Akaashi asked. 

“‘Kaashi?”

“Do you need help getting into your clean clothes?” he asked. Bokuto hummed his confirmation and Akaashi quickly set to getting Bokuto into the fresh clothes. He was shivering uncontrollably because of the cold air by the time they were finished.

Akaashi opened the bathroom door to get his mother, escorting Bokuto to his bedroom to lay him down. “I’m sorry, Keiji, we don’t have a spare room for him to sleep in,”

“That’s okay, he’ll be fine in here,” Akaashi told her. He was actually more content knowing that he could watch Bokuto overnight because he’d be sleeping in the same room. He lifted the blankets over Bokuto’s shoulder as he rolled into a ball on his side, face half hanging off the bed.

Keiji’s mother walked back into the room with a small trash can and set it by Bokuto’s head. “I’m going to go to the market and get him some medication and some soup. We’ll have to worry about more clothes later,” She told him. 

“I can run to his house and get him a bag,” Keiji told her. 

“Alright, I’ll be back soon. Wait until I get back and call me if he gets worse,” she left after seeing Akaashi nod, turning to get Bokuto more comfortable. She smiled a bit when she saw just how attentive her son was toward Kōtarō.

~~~

Akaashi placed a cold pack on Bokuto’s forehead as he slept fitfully, breathing through his mouth. Bokuto always seemed so untouchable that Akaashi was a bit baffled by how much his body had broken down and just how ill he had gotten. He was closely monitoring Bokuto’s temperature and made his mother aware of just how high it was. 

Akaashi’s brow creased in worry when he received a message back saying that if it got any higher that she’d be taking Bokuto-san to the hospital. Akaashi obviously didn’t want things to get to the point of hospitalization, so he was doing anything he could think of to help reduce Bokuto’s temperature while keeping him warm.

He left the room to grab himself a drink when his mother came back into the house with a few bags of groceries. “Here, let me help,” Keiji said, taking the bags and walking to the kitchen. He set them down on the counter and started to rummage through them.

“How is he?” 

“His temperature is the same but I put a cold compress on his forehead and he’s asleep right now,” Keiji told her. He grabbed the stomach and cold and flu medications and moved to pour another glass of water. “I’ll take these to him,”

“He should try eating something first,” His mother told him. “Let me make some soup for him,”

“Alright, well I’m going to check on him,” he walked off, taking the glass of water and medication with him as he went. He placed the meds and water on his bedside table as he slowly moved to wake Bokuto up. “Bokuto-san,” he whispered.

“‘Kaashi?” Bokuto slurred. 

“You need to drink something,” Akaashi told him. “I have water for you,” He said, moving to help Bokuto sit up a bit. He carefully handed the glass to Bokuto once he was settled into a sitting position.

Bokuto instantly inhaled the water, Akaashi needed to slow him down so he didn’t choke or throw it back up. “Bokuto-san slow down. Nobody’s going to take it from you but you don’t want to drink it so fast that you throw it back up,” Akaashi scolded lightly.

Bokuto just looked at him with teary eyes. He was still burning with his fever and Akaashi checked the cold compress stuck to his forehead. It wasn’t cold anymore and needed to be replaced.

“I’m going to bring you another one of these and Mom is making you some soup to eat,” Akaashi said, taking the compress from his forehead. “Lay back down,” He watched as Bokuto shuffled to get back under the blankets, shivering fiercely.

When he came back, Bokuto was half asleep. He stuck the new compress to Bokuto’s forehead and let out a bit of a sigh. “Bokuto-san, why didn’t you tell me you weren’t feeling well this morning?” Akaashi asked quietly.

He heard Bokuto groan, then mumble “Didn’t know,”

Akaashi sat there quietly for a minute and thought about it. He knew it was a possibility that Bokuto hadn’t known he was ill before walking to school. Could his symptoms really have come so quickly? He supposed that they could’ve, Bokuto had seemed normal when they first met up to walk to school.

Akaashi stayed quiet, noticing when Bokuto’s breathing went deep and even.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	5. What's Wrong With Bokuto? (Part 3/3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto is pretty sick, and Akaashi doesn't like it one bit. Unfortunately, his mother still forces him to go to school and leave Bokuto home which leads to an interesting talk between Bokuto and Akaashi's mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! :)

“‘Kaashi I’m c-cold,” Bokuto whined. It was the middle of the night and Keiji’s mom had gone to bed a while ago. They had settled in to sleep a little over an hour ago and Bokuto had been kept up because he couldn’t stop shivering.

“Is the heating pad helping, Bokuto-san?” Akaashi asked.

“Mm-mm” Bokuto hummed sadly. Akaashi sat up from his place laying on the floor to glance at Bokuto. He was curled up in a ball on his side, hugging a heating pad to his stomach. He hadn't thrown up in a while but was still achingly nauseous. 

Akaashi stood up, gently prompting Bokuto to slowly move over. “‘Kaashi?” Bokuto asked, instantly sliding over to make room.

“I can’t do much, but I can lend you some body heat,” Akaashi told him, settling in and waiting for Bokuto to crowd him. Bokuto instantly moved in, settling against Akaashi’s chest, and now Keiji could feel just how furiously Bokuto was shivering. He was boiling hot, and Akaashi had replaced the cold compress on Bokuto’s forehead not ten minutes ago.

Bokuto let out a sigh as his shivering slowed down. It didn’t take long for Bokuto to fall asleep, his head pressed roughly against Akaashi’s chest. Keiji didn’t take long to fall asleep either, Bokuto being a personal heater with his high temperature and the bliss he felt falling asleep next to someone he trusted.

2 DAYS LATER

Bokuto woke up and Akaashi was gone. Judging by the daylight, he assumed that Akaashi was at school. It’d been a few days since Bokuto had been brought to the Akaashi family home and he was feeling much better.

He rolled out of Akaashi’s bed and slowly made his way to the kitchen, one hand rubbing his eye and the other grasping the end of his shirt. He shyly entered the kitchen to see Akaashi’s mother making breakfast.

“Morning, Kōtarō,” she greeted.

“Hi,” He said softly.

“No need to be nervous, sweetie. Come sit, breakfast is almost ready,” She encouraged. Bokuto made his way to the table and sat down, still nervous to be alone around Akaashi’s mother. It was nothing against her, he just wasn’t familiar with how she cared and it made him feel really strange. He didn’t want to be a burden.

“Here you are,” She said as she placed a plate in front of him and ran her fingers through his hair briefly. He leaned into the touch with a pleased sigh. He might feel a bit awkward but he still couldn’t help but soak up the affection like a sponge.

He started to eat quietly, deep in thought before he placed his fork down, “Akaashi-san?” He asked quietly.

“Yes?” She replied, turning to face him. 

“How much do you know about Red Strings of Fate?” Bokuto asked, playing nervously with his fingers. He’d seen Akaashi do it before and now he knew why. It was something to focus on when he felt anxious.

“Why do you ask?” She questioned, sitting down in preparation for a more serious conversation.

“Well,” Bokuto said nervously. “I’ve been able to see mine since I was 16, and I recently found out who it’s connected to,” He began, noticing that she was listening intently. “But the thing is, It’s red where it's tied around my finger and grey where it’s attached to my soulmate. I tried to ask my mom about what it meant a while ago but she hasn’t been home and-”

“Kōtarō, honey, calm down.” She said, “I know that your mother is almost never home. It’s okay that you came to ask me, and fortunately, I can actually help. The string being grey just means that your soulmate isn’t aware who they are connected to yet. There’s nothing wrong with your bond, you just have to wait for Fate to deem Keiji ready to know,”

“How did you-” 

“He willingly let you fall asleep on his chest, honey. He’s never been this close to someone before. I’m glad he’s found someone like you, and I appreciate that you came to me to ask about it. You’ll just have to be patient, he’ll figure it out in time, just stay with him until he does,”

Bokuto just nodded, keeping his last few thoughts to himself as he continued to eat and get coddled by Akaashi’s mother. He wondered if Akaashi would stick around if he knew how clingy and desperate for love Bokuto was. What if Bokuto was just too much to handle? He knew that the String connected them, but was that really enough? His parents didn’t often stick around to give Bokuto what he desired. He’d been without love for so long he wasn’t sure he knew how to truly accept when someone did care.

How would all of this work?

Noticing how quiet and uncomfortable Kōtarō was with the silence after their conversation, she spoke once again. “Maybe you should get some more sleep, honey. You look absolutely exhausted,”

“O-okay,” Bokuto stuttered, moving to put his plate in the sink. “Can I shower first?” he asked slowly.

“Of course, I’ll grab you a fresh towel,”

“Thank you,” he replied.

~~~

“Mom, I’m home!” Akaashi announced as he walked into the living room where she was relaxing. “How’s Bokuto-san?”

“He’s still a bit out of it,” She admitted. “He’s still pretty quiet and uncomfortable, clearly exhausted. He’s asleep right now,” she told him. “Be gentle with him if you wake him up, he seems like something is troubling him,” she wasn’t going to mention anything that they talked about, but she also could tell that something more was bothering Kōtarō.

“I’m just going to start my homework at my desk,” Keiji told her, giving her a hug before moving to his room. He placed his bag on his desk and walked over to Bokuto- deeply asleep under Akaashi’s favorite blankets. 

He ran his fingers through Bokuto’s hair, noting how soft it was without the gel. It was scattered all across his face now that it was down. He honestly thought that Bokuto looked amazing with either style, no matter how ridiculous he figured it should have looked. 

He wondered what troubled Bokuto enough that his mother had been able to pick up and mention it. He wasn’t going to push, he knew Bokuto couldn’t keep secrets worth a damn. He’d only known Bokuto for a few months but he was still confident in what he did know.

After a few content seconds of running his fingers through soft hair, earning a pleased hum from Bokuto who also pushed into the hand in his sleep, he moved away to start his homework. Bokuto surely needed all the sleep he could get. He’d been awfully sick for two days before even a slight hint of him getting better came along. It must have been exhausting.

Akaashi was certain he’d never been that sick before, and by the looks of it, it was Bokuto’s first time too. He couldn’t forget the panicked eyes that met his own every time Bokuto knew he was going to throw up, eyes that pleaded with him to make it stop. He felt awful for not being able to do anything more than what he hoped Bokuto would find comforting.

~~~ 

Bokuto was finally feeling better and once checked over by Akaashi’s mother, was allowed to return home. “Promise me that you’ll stop in whenever you want or need to,” She had told him. Bokuto could do nothing but nod shyly as Keiji watched. 

He’d never seen Bokuto that quiet and shy. It was worrying yet interesting to see yet another new side of Bokuto brought on from being sick. He knew his mother could be overwhelming, but to be too overwhelming for even Bokuto was an accomplishment.

Akaashi was going to spend even more time analyzing him now, trying to figure out every little detail of the walking puzzle called Bokuto Kōtarō.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	6. Bokuto's Birthday?(Part 1/2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the days bleed into weeks, and weeks turn into months, Fall has finally arrived. And so has another thing, Akaashi comes to find out... Bokuto's birthday????

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't kill me for the sad story bc it'll have a beautiful ending I promise! 
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Things went back to normal with Bokuto not long after he recovered, Akaashi noticed. He was boisterous and friendly, just as always. There were a few times where Bokuto would go to Akaashi’s place to study(which he would fail miserably to focus on) but would become shy and quiet, almost reserved around Akaashi’s mother.

It was like they both knew something that Akaashi didn’t. He wanted to know but wasn’t the type to push for it. If it became problematic and affected Bokuto’s ability to play, then Akaashi would get involved.

They went through months of practice, games, and practice matches. They went through their training camp over the summer and soon it was getting close to the start of their second trimester. Days turned into weeks and the team was all back to practice in the fall semester, the end of September rapidly approaching.

Akaashi and Bokuto fell into a routine, the same as everyone else. Until Bokuto broke that routine. On a particularly unmemorable day in late September, Bokuto didn’t show up for morning practice. He wasn’t in his classes, nor at afternoon practice.

“Has anyone seen Bokuto-san?” Akaashi asked the second and third years. 

“Bokuto never comes to school on September 20th,” Konoha-san told him.

“Why?” Akaashi asked in reply.

“We don’t know,” Tatsuki continued, “he never says why but he’s been like that since middle school,”

The coach overheard their conversations, noting something that he’d seen in Kōtarō’s information files. “It could have something to do with the fact that it’s his birthday.” He told the team, everyone turning to face their coach.

“It’s Bokuto’s birthday?” Konoha asked.

“Nobody knew?” Akaashi asked.

“He’s never mentioned his birthday to us before,” Yamato reasoned. “Nobody ever really thought about it, but now that I am thinking, we all celebrate birthdays together as a team because we all get excited when they come around.”

“And nobody thought to ask about Bokuto-san’s birthday?” Akaashi asked bluntly. “Then again, neither did I, and he’s already mentioned that he’s excited for my birthday to come around,”

~~~

Akaashi walked straight home and talked with his mother. “Mom, it’s Bokuto-san’s birthday today,”

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” She asked, “I would have gotten a cake and we could have had him over again, seeming as his parents left a few days ago,” she told him.

“He never told me,” Keiji said. “Can we still do something, though? He shouldn’t be alone on his birthday, and I think I even have something he might like,” Keiji told her. 

“I’ll go get a cake and some ice cream, when I get back you can go swing by his place and bring him here. For now, you need to shower, you just got out of practice.”

“Alright,” Keiji agreed, moving to get ready.

~~~

Akaashi knocked on Bokuto’s door, hoping for an answer. When there wasn’t a reply, he moved to see if the door was unlocked. Bokuto was always forgetting his keys, and the neighborhood was nice so he didn’t even worry about locking the doors.

The latch popped open and Akaashi invited himself in. “Bokuto-san?” Akaashi questioned loudly. Again, no reply. He made his way towards Bokuto’s room, pushing the cracked door open. The bed was torn to bits, blankets hanging off the bed and on the floor, but completely empty.

He walked into the room a bit, there was nowhere else that Bokuto would be, Akaashi recalled the time that Bokuto said that the rest of the house made him feel alone, it always being so empty. For that reason alone, Bokuto hardly left his room when he was home.

He looked around at the mess, papers all over Bokuto's desk, a few pieces of clothes on the floor. The room screamed Bokuto. Akaashi had only been here a handful of times as Bokuto much preferred to spend their time in the comfort of Akaashi’s home.

He heard a bit of sniffling and looked toward the closed doors of the closet. He narrowed his eyes, moving to investigate. He opened the door to see a huge pile of what he assumed to be Bokuto’s clean, unfolded laundry. He was surprised to see Bokuto buried in the pile, half awake with bright red eyes. 

“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi sighed, settling down onto his knees to get face to face with the boy buried in his clothes. “Why are you sleeping in your closet in a pile of clothes?” He asked softly.

Bokuto didn’t reply, just closed his eyes again, trying to cover his face and head. Akaashi could tell that Bokuto’s eyes must have been burning, it looked like he’d been crying all day, his face wet and raw looking, most likely from Bokuto scrubbing his own tears away.

“Come on, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi told him quietly, “It’s time to go home,”

“Home?” Bokuto asked, not moving an inch.

“Mom bought a cake and ice cream and I have one of the movies you were so excited to see on disk waiting at home for us to watch,” Akaashi told him, grabbing his wrist gently to help pull him from the closet. 

Bokuto slowly got up, his hair sticking up everywhere. He was wearing a baggy sweatshirt and sweatpants. “Let’s pack you a bag, you’re staying with us for a while, okay?” Bokuto only nodded and Akaashi started to worry even more.

He hadn’t seen a new side of Bokuto since the time he’d gotten ill back in May. Bokuto was always so happy and boisterous so when he got down in the dumps, Akaashi could do nothing but worry. Bokuto had his “emo mode” it was true, but the quiet, lost, and defeated look he got when he was ill and that he wore now… it terrified Akaashi.

The fact that he never considered Bokuto could even have felt like this made him disappointed in himself. He knew how Bokuto’s parents were, but with the way Bokuto always played it off, he never thought it would affect him this badly.

They packed Bokuto’s bag and walked back to Akaashi’s place in silence, Akaashi’s blood boiling now that he realized how foolish he had been. Bokuto’s face was full of tears, his eyes were red and burning and Akaashi could feel nothing but resentment for those who caused Bokuto this much pain.

Akaashi paused at that thought. He’d never thought about anyone like this before. What was this feeling boiling up in his chest?

~~~

“Mom! We’re back!” Keiji announced. His mother instantly came out of the kitchen with a bright smile. It changed to a sad look before she was able to try to paste it back on for Bokuto’s sake. She walked up to Kōtarō and scooped him into a hug.

He stiffened visually, Akaashi noticed. It took him a whole five seconds to launch himself into the embrace and start crying all over again. Keiji stood there in uncomfortable silence while his mother comforted Bokuto.

“It’s alright sweetie. You’re here now,” She told him. “Come settle in, dinner is almost ready and then we can eat some cake and ice cream. Keiji told me that he even has a movie you’ve been wanting to watch,”

“There’s cake?” Bokuto asked in slight disbelief, scrubbing at his face again. Keiji stopped him instantly.

“Your face is already raw, Bokuto-san. Don’t make it worse,” He offered up a tissue from one of the side tables in the living room. The soft fabric would cause less irritation to Bokuto’s face. “Let’s go wash up for dinner,”

“O-okay,” he replied following Akaashi to the bathroom before settling down at the dining room table.

Dinner was quiet before Keiji’s mom broke it. “Kōtarō? Can I ask you something?” she asked gently. Bokuto hummed his agreement around his mouthful of food. She put her chopsticks down and continued, “When was the last time you spent your birthday with your parents?”

“Oh, uh,” Bokuto articulated after swallowing his food. Akaashi was watching closely, eating his own meal. “I’m not sure? Before middle school? Maybe longer?” Akaashi was disgusted by the answer. He’d been alone on his birthday every year for so long? “Mom and Dad are always away, I can’t remember the last time we’ve had an actual conversation that didn’t end with them leaving for a business trip or vacation,”

That answer left Akaashi’s mother speechless. Keiji was on the same boat as her…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	7. Bokuto's Birthday?(Part 2/2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto spends his birthday with Akaashi and his mother. How does it go?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little bit of fluff for those of you who've found the story kinda sad until now. There's some development for Akaashi too!
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Bokuto passed out against Akaashi on the couch within the first ten minutes of the movie. Fairly, Keiji could see just how exhausted Bokuto was. He was constantly alone and doing everything for himself, it must have drained him considerably.

Keiji didn’t have the heart to wake him, not even when Bokuto inched closer and wrapped himself around Keiji in his sleep. His mother just looked at him and shickered, Keiji’s brows furrowing a bit in response.

The movie ended and Keiji’s mother instantly asked if Keiji wanted help getting Bokuto into his room. “That’s okay, I’ll just wake him up so he can walk, he’ll pass out as soon as he’s on the bed anyway,” He told her.

“Alright, he should stay the weekend, thankfully his birthday was on a Friday this year. He’s not going home until after school on Monday at the earliest,” she told him.

“Alright, that’s probably a good idea. Goodnight, Mom,” Keiji let her give his forehead a kiss and watched her retreat down the hallway before moving to finally wake Bokuto. “Bokuto-san, you slept through the movie, let’s get you to bed,”

“‘Kaashi?” He slurred sleepily, latching onto Keiji’s hands as he let himself be pulled from the couch. He draped himself over Akaashi’s shoulders and leaned into him, only slightly paying attention to where they were walking.

“Bokuto-san, can you please watch where you're walking?” Akaashi asked quietly, pulling Bokuto away from the hallway wall. He struggled to get Bokuto into his room but finally let him flop into the bed once Bokuto realized it was there.

Bokuto crawled up to the top, tucking himself under the covers and Akaashi just sighed, moving to put his pajamas on. Bokuto was still wearing sweats, so he’d be fine for sleeping in the cold of Akaashi’s room.

He put his own pajamas on and crawled onto the other side of the bed, curling to a ball and facing the partially opened windows. “‘Kaashiiiii,” Bokuto whined tiredly, making a show of rolling over.

“Yes, Bokuto-san?” Keiji replied, turning a bit to face Bokuto.

Bokuto didn’t say anything, sleepy eyes drooping farther and farther closed as Akaashi watched. Akaashi felt something around his waist, and then he was being forcefully pulled against Bokuto’s chest. “‘M cold,” Bokuto finally said, resting his nose right behind Akaashi’s ear.

Shocked, Akaashi was unable to resist, but once the shock faded, he realized how much he didn’t care, his body relaxing against Bokuto’s. He heard soft snores and felt warm breath against his cheek, and soon enough, he was asleep too.

~~~

Keiji woke the next morning exactly where he fell asleep, Bokuto tightly wrapped around him, snoring away. He had to pry Bokuto’s arms off his waist to get up, moving to the kitchen where he smelled eggs cooking away.

“Morning, Mom,” Keiji said, rubbing at his bedhead.

“Good morning, Keiji, how’d you sleep?” She asked with a knowing grin.

He sighed, “With Bokuto-san attached to me like a leech,” He moved to grab himself a glass of milk, more than ready for some food to be ready.

“‘Kaashi?” Bokuto asked, hair poking out in all directions as he walked into the kitchen.

Keiji and his mother turned, his mom letting out a light giggle and a “Good morning, Kōtarō,”

Keiji just stood there with red cheeks, “Morning, Bokuto-san,” He whispered, moving his glass back to his mouth. He’d never seen Bokuto so sleep ruffled before, but it made his stomach feel weird and his face feel hot.

Bokuto instantly perked up at the smell of eggs, moving to grab the other glass of milk waiting on the table. “Thank you,” He said right before taking a huge gulp of the milk. 

“Wash up boys, breakfast is just about ready,” Akaashi’s mom smiled. Both raced to the bathroom to wash up, hungry for a good meal, and Bokuto’s normal energy spurring the moment. Keiji’s mother was snickering the whole time she saw the two interact.

~~~

The weekend went by fast, and thankfully, Bokuto seemed to cheer up plenty at the time he spent in Keiji’s home. Akaashi had been watching his mood carefully, making sure that Bokuto got everything he could from his birthday weekend that he could. Keiji strongly wanted to replace the saddening memories of Bokuto’s past birthdays with new happy ones, one for each sad memory, and new ones stacked on top.

He wanted to drown the sadness with nothing but the best of happy memories, just as Bokuto did for him. Bokuto had given Akaashi so much, a new friend, a great teammate, and plenty of memories that Keiji wasn’t sure what to do with. He’d never had a friend before, let alone one like Bokuto. He was determined to make sure it lasted.

Akaashi made sure to throw Bokuto plenty of sets over the weekend, they watched anything Bokuto could have desired. Every night Bokuto would attach himself to Keiji to sleep and Keiji couldn’t find the heart to do anything about it. It was a perfect weekend for Keiji, but was it enough for Bokuto?

He hoped Bokuto would keep the weekend between them, particularly about how they fell asleep each night, though with how Bokuto was, he wasn’t sure if the Ace would be able to keep it to himself. Akaashi ran that risk happily as long as it meant Bokuto would fall asleep next to him each night.

It just felt right.

~~~

Monday came and went, everyone, asking how Bokuto’s birthday went and when he did over the weekend. To Akaashi’s surprise, he didn’t say a word about what happened. He just said he spent the weekend in his home by himself like usual, watching movies and watching volleyball. 

The team encouraged him to celebrate with them next year, but they all saw how it made Bokuto deflate. Knowing the topic was sore, everyone dropped it, in hopes that their Ace would pull himself up for practice.

Akaashi set to Bokuto, a soft smile hidden from view knowing that Bokuto would probably only ever spend his birthdays with Akaashi and his mother. Akaashi was internally celebrating, unsure of why but not bothered by the thoughts all the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	8. Finally 16... But... My String? (Part 1/2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keiji's birthday is fast approaching and he invites Bokuto to spend the night at his place, and the day with him and Keiji's mother. Interesting conversations happen and Bokuto acts a little differently than normal...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little less fluff but a little more story in this chapter... 
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Time flew after Bokuto’s birthday, Akaashi’s birthday coming up at a startling pace. It was his 16th birthday and from what his mother had told him, he might finally be able to see his red string when he turned 16. 

He was looking forward to his birthday, but somewhat dreading the responsibility that it could bring. He knew that there was a chance he wouldn’t be able to see who his soulmate was right away, it might not show up until later in his life.

Bokuto was excited for his birthday, even wanted to spend it with him, but Akaashi could also see a nervousness in Bokuto that wasn’t normally there. He wondered why could it have something to do with Akaashi possibly finding out who his soulmate was when he turned 16? 

Was Bokuto nervous that Keiji wouldn’t want to hang out as much, be as close of friends once he found his soulmate? Was he nervous for any future changes? What could possibly be going through Bokuto’s mind?

Akaashi stopped dead. He realized at that moment- he’d never even had a conversation with Bokuto about his soulmate- his string. Could Bokuto see his? Did he know who his soulmate was? If he did, who was it? Bokuto spent most of his time with the team or with Akaashi, why wouldn’t he spend more time with his soulmate?

~~~

The night before Akaashi turned 16, he invited Bokuto over to spend the night. It was a Friday, Akaashi’s birthday being on Saturday this year. Bokuto was more than happy to come over but clearly nervous. He greeted Keiji’s mother the same way as always, getting smothered in her hug.

Keiji, already fed up, moved to get his usual after-practice shower. His mother started on dinner, calling Kōtarō into the kitchen for a talk while Keiji washed up. “He’s going to be 16 tomorrow,” She said, not turning away from the pot of stir-fry. 

“I know,” Bokuto whispered nervously, playing with his hands. 

“Why are you so nervous?” She asked. “If he knows tomorrow, or days, months, years from now, he’ll love you just the same,” She assured him.

“I don’t know,” Bokuto replied. “I’ve never been so nervous for ‘Kaashi to figure something out. I’ve known since school began back in April, what if he is mad that I didn’t tell him? What if he doesn’t see me that way? What if when I graduate, he walks away? What if he thinks it’s too much work?”

“Kōtarō, please, calm down,” she pleaded. “Keiji isn’t going to leave you. Even if his feelings are nothing more than platonic, I know he’d never walk away. You’ve given him more than anyone else ever has. He’s always been so quiet, he’s never been the type to get excited, to show what he’s feeling… but since he’s met you… he’s been so different. He knows what it’s like to have true friends. Nobody’s ever put in this much effort to know him before,”

Bokuto just sniffled as he listened, “I cannot tell you how exactly he feels, I’m not sure he knows how he feels himself, but I can tell you that Keiji values you. That he wants to keep your friendship for as long as you’re willing to stand by him.”

Bokuto didn’t say anything, almost like the words, even though he was hearing them, weren’t making their way into his brain. Akaashi’s mom understood that anxiety. Nothing she said would probably change how Bokuto felt. He’d have to be shown by Keiji himself to ever truly believe that he was worth sticking around for. 

Akaashi’s mother just ruffled his hair and turned back to her pan of stir-fry. Keiji joined them in the kitchen not long after, noting Bokuto’s zoned out look. He was certainly stuck in his thoughts again, though Keiji was unsure of what was causing it this time.

The best course of action was distraction in this case. He tapped Bokuto on the shoulder as he walked by, hoping to jostle him out of his thoughts, Bokuto’s owl eyes making their way to his as he sat in his chair.

“Do you need help with your math, Bokuto-san?” Keiji asked, serving himself some of the stir-fry his mother brought to the table. Bokuto had admitted to being horrible at math and Keiji, though not in the same year, had been tutoring him since the middle of their first term.

“Yes, please,” Bokuto said, moving to get his own dinner.

“Study session after dinner then?” Keiji’s mother asked. “I’ll make some snacks later and bring them up for you,”

Dinner proceeded with excited talks of practice and Keiji’s birthday but soon enough the meal was over and Keiji was more than happy to drag Bokuto to his bedroom to study. He wasn’t really thinking of the pile of homework, more of finally getting Bokuto in an environment where he could finally ask him about his Red String.

They settled in on the bed, Akaashi working through multiple topics while Bokuto focused on his math. He’d stop and help Bokuto with a problem here or there but was able to focus on the essay he was writing. He finished in no time and was able to sneak glances at Bokuto while the Ace worked through his math.

“Bokuto-san?” Keiji asked quietly. He heard him hum in reply, “Can you see your String?” he asked nervously, closing his eyes tightly.

“What?” Bokuto asked, clearly startled.

“Your Red String? They normally show themselves when someone turns 16. Can you see yours?” Keiji asked again, now staring directly at Bokuto.

“Oh, um, yeah, I can see mine,” Bokuto replied honestly. “But, I uh, don’t know who it’s attached to yet,”

“What do you mean?” Keiji asked.

“It means I haven’t met my soulmate yet,” Bokuto said nervously. 

“What does it feel like?” Keiji asked. “Can you feel it?? What does it look like?”

“Um, well there’s not really a feeling to describe it, I guess,” Bokuto said, clearly starting to calm down. “It’s red but looks endless like it’s not connected to anyone so it just goes on and on, you know?” Bokuto looked at his hand, finally fiddling with the red string that only he could see. 

“Are you playing with it right now?” Akaashi asked him.

“Yeah, it’s soothing in a way,” Bokuto admitted. He’d never really messed with the string over the past few months. Honestly, sometimes he’d forgotten it was there, he only ever focused on Akaashi and their friendship until his 16th birthday was finally close. Now that it was, he wondered if everything would change, how would he explain to Akaashi that he had lied to his face? 

How would everything turn out? His eyes followed the red string, still saddened by the grey that appeared when it connected to Akaashi’s finger. Would that change tomorrow? Would Akaashi finally know that Bokuto was his soulmate? How would Akaashi feel? How would he react? Would he finally give up on him? Would he leave?

“Bokuto-san?” Akaashi’s voice pulled him from the depths of his thoughts.

“Huh?” 

“You zoned out,” Keiji said.

“Sorry,” Bokuto said. “I’m tired,” He moved, putting his homework on the floor then flopping over onto the bed, boneless. 

“Bokuto-san, at least get into your pajamas,” Keiji said, moving to his dresser to pull out some of Bokuto’s clothes. He had a whole stash of Bokuto’s clothes in his dresser now, pajamas, jeans, shirts, hoodies, anything Bokuto needed was in his dresser. 

He threw the clothes right onto Bokuto’s face, startling him. “Ack, ‘Kaaashi!!!” Bokuto whined, moving to get his pajamas on. 

“Don’t forget to brush your teeth,” Keiji told him flatly, moving to get his own sleep clothes.

Bokuto disappeared to use the bathroom and Keiji settled in on his bed after putting his mountain of work on his desk. He waited for Bokuto to come back and soon felt a dip in the mattress where Bokuto finally laid down.

He waited a few moments for Bokuto to pull him against his chest, but that never came. Keiji turned his head, noticing that Bokuto was facing the door, curled in on himself, dead asleep. It was late so Akaashi wasn’t surprised that he passed out so quickly but he was surprised that Bokuto was being so distant.

Keiji laid awake for a while, thinking about a few things. His String, Bokuto’s weird distant behavior, his mother clearly keeping secrets from him. All the classwork he had. There was too much to think about and soon enough it was a few minutes until midnight. 

He all but glared at the clock, thinking that it mocked him as time seemed to slow just minutes before his 16th birthday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	9. Finally 16... But... My String? (Part 2/2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Keiji's birthday- he'll find out if he gets to see his String. How will he spend his birthday? What will happen between him and Bokuto if he can see his String?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter in a few hours- I've been a little inspired lately- thanks to my friend Kenma~
> 
> Enjoy! :)

The clock struck midnight. Keiji closed his eyes tight, not wanting to look. It took a minute before he could open his eyes and when he did, it took what seemed like forever to finally look down at his fingers.

He checked both hands. Nothing was there. He let out a sigh, flopping back into his pillow. He didn’t have a String. He was supposed to get one at 16, so where was his? He was confused, most people got thier at the age of 16, it was rare to get it later. Had fate decided he wasn’t ready?

How long would he have to wait? How would this affect his life right now? He knew of a few people who had already found thier soulmates, who were already with them. He even knew of a few people who had platonic soulmates. But he was the only person he knew of at the age of 16 that didn’t have a String at all.

Maybe he didn’t have a soulmate? Could Fate have decided he was too rough of a person to pair with? Was Bokuto put out with him? Was Bokuto only being nice or were they really as close as Akaashi felt they were? Bokuto had been distant lately, could it be because he was getting tired of the way Akaashi was?

No. He refused to believe that. Bokuto was his best friend. There was nobody that knew Akaashi better than Bokuto did. Akaashi didn’t care that he didn’t have a String. He had Bokuto, that’s all he needed. A friend like Bokuto was better than any soulmate he could have had, Akaashi knew this for certain.

He felt Bokuto roll over in his sleep, face relaxed for the first time in days. He sighed happily and he burrowed into the pillows and Akaashi couldn’t help but scoot closer. Bokuto was really all he needed. He fit himself against Bokuto’s body, Bokuto automatically adjusting and wrapping his arm around Keiji’s waist in its normal pace. 

For the first time all night, Akaashi could finally relax enough to sleep.

~~~

For the first time, Keiji woke up in his bed alone. Bokuto seemed to have been up for a while, his normal spot in the bed gone cold. He stretched for a moment, glancing at his left pinkie. Still not String. He couldn’t be bothered as he got dressed, then wandered to the kitchen. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept so late.

His mother greeted him with a bright smile, and Keiji leaned in when she hugged him. She had prepared one of his favorite breakfasts. Soon enough Bokuto appears in the kitchen, happily sitting down at the table and wishing Akaashi a happy birthday.

They eat happily enough and Keiji’s mother finally asks what thier plans are for the day. 

“The team wanted to play a few three on three matches, today in the gym. It’s not required but I know Bokuto-san was excited by the idea of three on threes.”

“Can we really?!? Are you sure you don’t want to do something else, ‘Kaashi?” Bokuto asked excitedly. He was clearly restless for a good practice match, even if it was just practice against his own team.

“Yes, I’m sure. I would like to practice my sets and receives anyway,” Keiji admitted. “I like playing volleyball with the team,” he admitted. “Go get ready, Bokuto-san, the team will be meeting up in an hour,”

Bokuto beamed, running off to put on his practice clothes.

“Keiji?” His mother asked, noting that he hadn’t moved from his seat.

“I can’t see it,” He said quietly. “Mom, I don’t have a String.”

“Keiji…”

“Is there something wrong with me? Did Fate decide I wasn’t worth enough to have a soulmate?” he asked quietly.

“Keiji.” he heard his mother say harshly. “Of course you are worth it. Fate will reveal your soulmate to you in time when you’re both ready. You’re going to have a soulmate that will love you more than anyone ever has, or ever will. Your soulmate is going to cherish you just as much as you will cherish them.” She assured, her hand resting on his cheek. “Promise me one thing, Keiji,”

“Yes?”

“When you find them,” She started, “Never let them go, cherish and love them with everything you’ve got,”

“Okay,” he assured her, getting up with a new spark in his eyes. “Thank you, Mom,” he said, giving her a brief hug before running off to the door where Bokuto met up with him, both of their gym bags across his shoulders.

“Ready ‘Kaashi?” Bokuto all but yelled, causing her to chuckled a bit.

“Bokuto-san, use your indoor voice,” He said, grabbing his duffle and throwing it over his shoulder. “Let’s go,”

“Let me know when you’re coming home! I’m making your favorite dinner and there’s cake too!”

“Alright, Mom!” Keiji replied before ushering Bokuto out the door to start their walk to the school.

~~~

Their practice matches were really fun. Bokuto was on the same team as Akaashi at his insistence, and the rest of the club got to practice against Bokuto’s cut shots. It was a newer trick that Bokuto had learned, one that put him in the top 5 Ace’s in the country. 

Keiji always forgot just how powerful Bokuto was as a second-year player. It was thrilling to watch Bokuto hit a spike so hard that the sound echoes off the walls of the gym. Soon enough, everyone was tired out, sitting in a circle with all of their water bottles.

“Hey, Akaashi! It’s your 16th birthday! Can you see your String? Konoha asked brightly.

Bokuto tensed at the question, and Akaashi let out a sigh. “No, I can’t,” He said flatly. 

“Yeah, you do seem a little slower in the love department,” Konoha laughed. “Don’t worry, you’ll see yours eventually!”

I don’t care if I ever see it, as long as I have Bokuto, Keiji thought to himself. “Speaking of Strings, Konoha-san,” Keiji said with a bit of a glare, “Can YOU see YOURS?” he emphasized.

“I can,” He replied simply. “It’s not connected to anyone yet, so I haven’t met my soulmate yet.”

“Everyone on the team can see theirs,” Yamato said, “Oh wait, Bokuto, can you see yours? I realize we never asked, we never see you on your birthday.”

“Yeah,” He choked out in reply, “I can,” He whispered, a glance going toward Akaashi before looking at his teammates. 

“Do you know who it’s connected to?” Konoha asked excitedly, the new information making him curious.

“Bokuto-san, are you ready to leave? We need to grab a few things on the way back,” Akaashi covered, noticing Bokuto’s obvious discomfort. He supposed this topic was something Bokuto wasn’t interested in sharing with everyone else.

“Oh, yeah!” he replied happily, bounding off to retrieve his and Keiji’s bags.

“Sorry to cut this short, but my mother needed me to grab a few things and insisted Bokuto-san join us for dinner,”

“Your mother really does like Bokuto,” Yamato pointed out.

“She does,” Keiji agreed. “There’s not a lot of people like Bokuto-san,” with that sentence dropped, Keiji walked away, leaving his teammates spiraling into gossip and thoughts as to what he could have met. 

He took his bag from Bokuto as they left the gym, noticing how Bokuto relaxed now that they were alone.

“Thanks for the save ‘Kaashi,” Bokuto said once they were on down the road.

Keiji didn’t answer, walking in his usual silent demeanor while Bokuto moved to talk about how much fun he had playing the three on three games. “Hitting the spike just right is always so thrilling!” he told Keiji.

~~~

Their dinner was just as delicious as all the meals Akaashi’s mother prepared for them. They watched a few movies and really relaxed. Keiji couldn’t remember the last time he’d particularly enjoyed a birthday. While he always celebrated, there was nothing more fun than spending the say with Bokuto.

They got ready for bed after a long day and a bunch of cake, sugar crash causing Bokuto to get tired really fast. “Hey, ‘Kaashi?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you sad that you can’t see your String?” Bokuto asked, owl eyes staring Keiji down.

“No,” He admitted. “Fate decided I wasn’t ready,” He elaborated, “Honestly, it’s not something I was thinking about until yesterday. I’m happy with how my life is right now, I don’t think I need anything more.”

“You don’t want a soulmate?” Bokuto asked.

“I do, I just don’t think that I need to know them right now. I have the team, school, my mom.” Keiji told him. “I even made a new best friend this year,” 

“You made a best friend?? Who?!?” Bokuto instantly popped up, energized, and curious.

“I’ll give you a minute to think about it, Bokuto-san,” He said flatly.

“I don’t-” Bokuto said before his eyes went wide again. “Wait- were you- you mean me?” He asked in shock. “Awwww, ‘Kaashiiiii!” he said excitedly. “I’m your best friend??!”

“I don’t hang out with anyone else,” Keiji once again replied in a flat tone. “Nobody else could even come close to that title,”

Bokuto seemed to ignore the obvious jab in that statement, too excited by the idea of Keiji being his best friend. “You’re my best friend too, ‘Kaashi!” he assured. “Not a lot of people can stand my loud personality like you do!” He told him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	10. Bokuto's 3rd Year- Training Camp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto and Akaashi start their new class year and we see what happens in the Training camp with Karasuno and Nekoma.
> 
> Konoha has a bit of a talk with Akaashi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tee-hee where will it go next Kenma?
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Months faded. Nationals came and went, Bokuto having led the team there. Soon enough, Keiji’s second year in high school started. Bokuto was officially team captain, Keiji being his Vice. They welcomed two new players, Anahori and Onaga.

Bokuto also kept his number 4 jersey instead of donning the Captain’s jersey. 4 was the number traditionally worn by the Ace, captain, or not Bokuto was determined to finish his time on the team proudly wearing his Ace title.

Bokuto boosted team morale easily as the new captain, promising the team that they’d be returning to nationals for the third time in a row. Bokuto was determined to play nationals all three years he was in Fukurodani.

Weeks passed as practices started and Keiji started hearing whispers from teams. Karasuno was making a come back with a new duo between their new setter- Kageyama Tobio, and their short middle blocker- Hinata Shōyō.

Bokuto was excited at the idea of a new challenger, and from the whispers, they had a few new members and old that compiled the interesting team that was Karasuno. The new duo that performed quick attacks, their Libero Nishinoya Yū was renowned from middle school, their Captain was said to be one of the most solid receivers, there was a new 1st year with amazing height and was a good blocker, they had an Ace that could break through a triple block. 

Keiji noted that Karasuno was definitely the team to watch, but he noted that with the new competition meant Bokuto could get thrown off his game easier. Not knowing exactly what to expect from their competition meant that Keiji would have to watch Bokuto’s mood and be ready to adjust to make sure that they could keep their Ace in tip-top shape.

~~~

The year went on and finally, they were nearing their training camp. Bokuto was excited when he heard that Karasuno would be attending the Tokyo training camp this year. Apparently, they had some renewed ties to Nekoma because their new coach was Ukai’s grandson.

Nekoma was a team that Fukurodani constantly played practice matches with and Bokuto was quite friendly with their team captain Kuroo. Kuroo had even filled Bokuto in when Kenma found out that Kuroo was actually on the other end of his Red String.

Kuroo had waited for Kenma to turn 16 and they had been together since. Kenma was lucky enough to find out when he turned 16, Bokuto was a little sad knowing that Akaashi still didn’t know. He’d rather Akaashi be in the dark than risk him leaving, though. 

Bokuto both dreaded and was excited for the day that Akaashi finally found out. He had been friends with Keiji for over a year now and was a bit more confident that Keiji would stay around, but was still unwilling to take the risk.

Bokuto was content to live with Akaashi just the way they were. He was fine carrying a red and grey String between them for as long as he needed to if it meant keeping Akaashi by his side. 

~~~

The day of the training camp finally came and Fukurodani watched as the team Karasuno finally walked into the gym. At first look, they knew that playing against the team would be interesting. Keiji focused on keeping Bokuto up and running in practices.

They played their practice matches, Bokuto was thrilled to finally play against Karasuno, even when he made errors and went into his “Emo mode”. They were able to beat Karasuno in their matches but were quite startled when presented with the quick they had heard about.

That was until the little red 10 started to open his eyes and try something new. Karasuno was disjointed the whole camp, learning, practicing, and adding new moves. They started adjusting their quick to break through better, they added a new move from their Libero and even a synchronized attack. 

Most of the time they messed up, but that was the whole learning curve. Akaashi and Bokuto could tell that in no time Karasuno would have those moves mastered, and once they did- Karasuno was going to be a demon to beat on the court.

After the actual practices, Bokuto invited Kuroo to join him and Akaashi in the gym to practice blocks and spikes. Eventually, they found the tall middle blocker from Karasuno, who introduced himself as Tsukishima. Bokuto instantly dragged him into the gym, looking for a new blocker to challenge. 

Bokuto had been working on his line shots, his cross hit becoming too predictable. He was again one of the top 5 Aces, just barely missing the top 3. There was even a night where Hinata and Lev followed them into one of the gyms and they were able to do a three on three.

Kuroo, Lev, and Tsukishima were all on one team, Keiji noted this and pointed out the obvious disadvantage. Not even one of their players was taller than any of the team members on Kuroo’s team. Bokuto and Hinata didn’t seem to care as they ran off excitedly to start the three on three. 

They played the game. Akaashi was setting to Bokuto and Hinata, Bokuto explaining to Hinata a few moves he could use to up his game and make his plays go through more often. Bokuto went in for another spike and Keiji was excited to set it to him. 

Keiji never wanted to forget this feeling. He couldn’t express those feelings, Bokuto seemed to just know them anyway, but he wondered exactly what the feeling was. What was the feeling rising in his stomach? He knew complete adoration from a mile away, but there was something else mixed in with it.

It was more than just because Bokuto was such an amazing player. What was it though? 

They ended their three on three and packed the gym up for the night. Bokuto and Akaashi separated from Kuroo and Lev, and Hinata, and Tsukishima. They walked back to where their team was bunking, washing up, and then settling in between their already asleep teammates. 

Bokuto faced Akaashi from where he laid next to him, a bright smile on his face from the satisfying day of volleyball. He was out like a light, his left hand squished under his face as if cradling it. 

Keiji just stared.

Bokuto has never been more attractive than he was now, over these past couple of days. Keiji really loved to see Bokuto so excited. He lived to set for the Ace. He lived to be with Bokuto. When had his feelings toward Bokuto gotten so strong?

His feelings? When had he started thinking of Bokuto with feelings rather than his head?

Keiji, in a slight panic, got out from under the covers and went for a walk. He didn’t notice Konoha get up behind him and follow him out of the room in curiosity.

“Akaashi-chan?” Konoha whisper-yelled, speeding up to catch up to the boy down the hall. “Where are you going this late?”

“For a walk,” Keiji replied flatly.

“I’ll come with you, it’s dark,” Konoha told him, walking beside his teammate. “What’s on your mind?” He asked.

“Nothing,” Keiji told him.

“We both know that’s not true. It’s about Bokuto, isn’t it?” Konoha asked. 

Keiji didn’t say anything and Konoha took it as an affirmation. “Finally realized you love him, right?”

“What?” Akaashi asked, stopping to look at his senior.

“Don’t tell me- you still don’t know that what you’re feeling for Bokuto is love? I know you can’t see your String, but they don’t decide your Fate. Even if you’re not connected to him… you can still love him just the same. I don’t know what’s up with Bokuto’s String, I don’t know anything about it- he keeps it tight under wraps, and by your face, you must know more. But! Your Strings aren’t involved- Bokuto loves you just as much as you love him so why don’t you finally tell him so he can stop worrying all the time?”

“I don’t-” Keiji said before pausing. “You’re sure Bokuto-”

“Don’t even ask. Yes, I’m sure. Bokuto might not be that close with any of us but we can all see how he feels so plainly. You’re the closest person to him- he doesn’t let just anyone in.” Konoha assured. “At least think about it,” He told Akaashi before walking off back to their rooms.

Keiji just stood there, deep in thought. What was he going to do? He really did love Bokuto so much. Did Bokuto actually feel the same? Would their Strings eventually get in the way of a relationship?

He felt something pulling at his hand. His left-hand was getting itchy. Without looking he started to scratch at his fingers, the feeling only intensifying as he stared out the windows of the hall. Getting aggravated, he went to investigate the feeling, all but glaring at his hands. 

There was a Red String on his left pinkie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon!


	11. Bokuto... Where Did You Go? (Part 1/2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto disappears from the training camp. Where does he go and what is Akaashi thinking?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My revenge Kenma. My revenge.
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Bokuto woke with a start. There was something cramping in his stomach, his hands were itchy. He wasn’t 100% sure but from that feeling- something was up with his String. Bokuto bolted up, grabbed his bag and phone, and ran from the room, shutting the door as quietly he bolted down the hallway.

~~~

Keiji walked back to his team’s bunks. His Red String mocked him, making a path down the hallway as he stopped at the door to his room. He followed the String with his eyes. Who did it connect to? Had he met them? What was going to happen between Keiji and Bokuto now?

He entered the room and moved to where his bed was. Bokuto’s was empty. Had he woken up to use the restroom? Where had he gone? Keiji laid down, sure that Bokuto would return from wherever he had gone. 

He fell asleep almost instantly, acutely aware of his exhaustion as his head hit the pillow. 

~~~

Keiji woke and Bokuto was still not there. The Ace was normally awake as soon as the sun peeked through the shades so it wasn’t unusual for Bokuto to be the first awake for the training camp. He moved to get ready, sure that Bokuto was already hard at work in the gym.

When he finally left the room, he followed the Red String with his eyes, turning each corner to make his way to the gym. Eventually, the String took an opposite turn from where he was headed and he was able to leave the idea of who was attached to it when his sight dropped away from the mocking red line.

He entered the gym- empty except for a few of the coaches chattering away. Bokuto wasn’t there. They whispered as he approached, Keiji stopping in front of his coach, face blank. “Bokuto’s gone home,” His coach said bluntly.

Keiji’s heart stopped. “Why?”

“He didn’t specify,” The coach replied. “All he said was that it was an emergency,”

Keiji was left lost. Bokuto hadn’t told him anything. That was the most unusual part of his disappearance. He’d have to text him later after practice- he’d left his phone in the bunks. He moved to set up the gym- thoughts wandering as to what could have happened with Bokuto.

~~~

Bokuto was wrapped up in all of his blankets, tucked away in his closet. Tears stung his eyes but they hadn’t fallen. His anxiety was building. Why had he run? Why had he even woken up to the sensation of something changing with his and Akaashi’s String?

What if it wasn’t even that? Why? That was the only thing his brain could think. Just… why?

When he had run from the camp, he’d made his way to a nearby- although closed- convenience store. From there he’d called his family driver who’d gotten him within 20 minutes. He was taken straight home and for once, his parents were there when he walked in the door. 

For once they had greeted him at the door- wondering why he’d called for the driver at 3 am. Why had he left volleyball camp early? Bokuto had just trudged past them, duffle dragging behind him solemnly as he made his way up the stairs to his bedroom.

They followed, noticing that Bokuto dropped his bag, grabbed his favorite blanket off his bed, and crawled into his closet, closing the door behind him. Neither of them dared to go in and ask, at least not right away. Bokuto was always one to come to them when he had an issue he needed help with. They’d wait a bit and then reach out to him.

They left his door cracked, moving back to their bedroom. They’d ask in the morning when he crawled out of his hiding place.

~~~

They noticed that Bokuto didn’t crawl out of his hiding place. He was no doubt awake- it was now 2 pm. He hadn’t made an appearance and his closet door hadn’t opened once. His mother made her way into the room, slowly approaching the closet.

“Kōtarō?” She asked quietly.

“Mom?” She heard a whispered response. To that, she opened the closet door to see Kōtarō buried in a pile of clothes and blankets on the floor.

“Kōtarō? What are you doing down there? Why are you home from your training camp early?” She asked, settling down on the floor to face his unmoving form.

“Why are you asking?” He snapped, clearly upset, and tired. “Why now of all times? I’ve tried talking to you about it since the start of my 2nd year! You never made time so why now? Why now, when I’ve been on my own for so long?”

“I don’t- you never tried to talk to us before-”

“That’s a lie. The first day of school last year. I came home from practice and instantly came to you to talk. But you were too busy getting your luggages down the stairs to notice that I needed you!” He yelled, finally sitting up. “I don’t need you to help me now. I don’t want your help anymore. I want you to leave me alone like you and dad always do. I want you to leave on another business trip because it’s honestly harder when you're home than when you're away.” He closed the closet door in her face and all she could hear was the movement of fabric as he settled back into his pile of clothes.

She let out a sigh and got up. Bokuto had never once been angry before. It was startling to see. What was wrong with her boy? She walked to her husband, he greeted her and asked after Kōtarō but that was as far as it went. They both glanced at their son’s room, then walked away. There was nothing they could do so long as he shut them out.

“We messed up,” She told her husband as they walked away. “He has been alone so often- we missed his 16th birthday! How could we have lost track of everything?”

“There’s nothing we can do now,” He replied. “Kōtarō will figure it out and he’ll come back to us when he needs us.”

“That’s the thing-” She let out a sigh. “I honestly don’t think he does need us anymore. When we are home, he stays away, staying who knows where. He’s always cooked for himself, done all of his homework, and earned his grades. He’s a star volleyball player. All without our support- we should have been there.”

“Business comes first,” Her husband sighed. “It’s pointless to look back and regret. All we can do is make sure he knows that when he needs us- we will be there for him to lean on.”

“I don’t think he ever will-” She once again voiced.

~~~

Akaashi all but ran into his house, throwing his bags into his room and going in search of his mother. “Mom!” He yelled loudly.

“Keiji??? What’s wrong? You never yell-”

“My String mom!” He exclaimed. He wasn’t sure if he was happy or if he was terrified. “I can see it!”

“That’s great Keiji!” She replied happily. “Do you know who it's attached to then?” she asked, hoping that he’d had the opportunity to discuss things with Bokuto.

“Oh, um no,” he said. “It’s weird, it just seems endless just like Bokuto said his did…” He trailed off as he continued. His face scrunched and tears started to sting his eyes.

“Keiji?” She asked.

“Mom- Konoha-san talked with me a few nights ago. And after that talk, my String appeared,” he admitted.

She sat down, Keiji moving to sit next to her. “And what did you talk about?”

“Well, Konoha-san seems to have known how I felt about- about Bokuto-san,” He said softly. 

“And what do you feel toward Kōtarō?” she urged forward.

“I love him, Mom. But what if our Strings get in the way? They aren’t attached to each other- what if Bokuto finds his soulmate and decides he’d rather be with them? Konoha-san said that Bokuto liked me the same way I like him but-”

“That boy feels nothing but love for you- we can all see it. It doesn't matter how much we say it because you won’t believe it until you hear it from him directly. And that’s okay. But believe me when I tell you- nothing could get in the way if you love him the way you say you do.”

“What should I do, Mom? My String connects me to some stranger- someone who is supposed to be perfect for me. But Bokuto-san is who I want to be with-”

“You should tell this to him. Save your words now- explain them to him when you see him. Go find him. Tell him everything you feel. And when you do see him- well, let's just say all of your questions will be answered at that moment.”

“But how do you know?”

“Call it a mother’s intuition,” She replied. “Are you going to try to walk over now?” she asked.

“I might as well. He left the camp days early for some sort of emergency and hasn’t replied to my texts. It must have been serious,” Keiji told her. He got off the couch, “I’m going to shower first, though.” he walked off to his destination.

~~~

Keiji walked all the way to the front door, knocking after a moment’s hesitation. A woman answered the door- by the looks of her it had to have been Bokuto’s mother. “Hello, I’m Akaashi Keiji,” He introduced. “I’m friends with Bokuto-san, is he home by chance? I needed to speak with him,”

She took him in- he fidgeted nervously. He’d never met Bokuto’s mother before. She was certainly a little intimidating. His face was it’s usual stoic facade, but his fingers played with each other, wrapping around his new String.

“I’m sorry, but Kōtarō isn’t here,” She said, worry apparent in her voice. “He was here a few days ago, we tried to talk to him. He snapped, then disappeared. He hasn’t been home since,” She admitted. “If you find him, please tell him to come home,”

“I will,” He replied, turning before his anger could burst. Whatever made Bokuto disappear that night from the training camp, his parents seemed to have finally tried to get involved. Just the idea makes Keiji’s blood boil.

More importantly, he paled, “Where are you, Kōtarō?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	12. Bokuto... Where Did You Go? (Part 2/2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akaashi is on the hunt for Bokuto, will he be able to find where the Ace is hiding?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kenma. My revenge just got a little bit better at the end of this chapter, hehe.
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Bokuto wasn’t in school all week. He wasn’t in practice. His parents had sent in a note excusing his absence before taking off for yet another business trip. Akaashi knew that Bokuto hadn’t been home, even though his parents had gone.

He asked the team if any of them had seen him. Nobody had. Nobody had heard a word from Bokuto since he disappeared from the training camp a week and a half ago. Akaashi did nothing but ignore the String that used to draw so much of his attention at first.

Bokuto was missing and Akaashi was determined to find him.

~~~

A few days past and it was finally the weekend. Keiji had gone home every night to an empty bed, one where Bokuto used to stay so often. Nothing he had tried had worked. He’d tried anyone Bokuto could have been remotely close to.

Wait.

There was one person he hadn’t thought of. Tetsurō Kuroo. Bokuto was close to the Nekoma player- someone Keiji hadn’t bothered to talk with much. It’s come back to bite him in the ass, now. 

“Konoha-san,” Keiji whispered before jumping for his phone. He hit the call button, it rang three times before Konoha picked up.

“Akaashi?” He asked, more than a little confused.

“Konoha-san!” Keiji exclaimed. “Do you have the number of Tetsurō Kuroo?”

“Nekoma’s captain?” He sighed out. “Um, maybe? If I don’t I know someone who does. Hold on,” He heard some tapping over the line and a moment later his phone was beeping with a message. “I just sent you his number. Why do you need it?”

“He might know where Bokuto-san is,” Keiji said like it was the most obvious reason.

“Maybe, I mean I never knew they were so close.”

“Kuroo is the only person somewhat close to Bokuto-san other than me,” Keiji said flatly. “Especially considering none of you seem to put the effort in,” With that, he hung up. He’d apologize later for his rudeness but right now Bokuto was at the top of his list.

Keiji stared at the number for a moment before hitting the call button. It rang for a while then went to voicemail. He dialed again. This time, there was an answer. “Hello?”

“Kuroo-san? It’s Akaashi Keiji from training camp. I got your number from Konoha-san, I hope that’s okay,”

“Yeah, I guess,” he replied lightly. He heard some shuffling over the line. “What can I do for you?”

“I was wondering if you know where Bokuto-san has disappeared to? His phone is going straight to voicemail and I’ve been calling him since he disappeared at training camp. His parents just left the country again but he hasn’t been back to his house,”

The line was silent before he finally heard a reply ring through. “I think you and I need to talk. Let’s meet at the park,” Was all he heard before Kuroo hung up. A moment later his phone pinged with an address.

He grabbed his coat, yelled to his mom, and sprinted out the door to meet Kuroo.

~~~ 

When he got to the park, he’d expected to see both Kuroo and Kenma, they were practically inseparable. Kenma was missing from the scene, Kuroo leaning up against a rock with a can of coffee.

When Keiji walked closer, he noticed that Kuroo seemed tired. “Kuroo-san?” He asked, “Are you alright? You look tired,”

“I’m fine. Just worried,” Kuroo instantly replied. “How much do you know about Bokuto?” he heard Kuroo ask. This question baffled Keiji, Bokuto was the person he was closest to- he knew everything Bokuto was willing to share with him. “That look says a lot,” Kuroo admitted.

“I know anything that Bokuto has been willing to tell me,” Keiji admitted, still confused about what it had to do with where Bokuto was now.

“Have you talked to him about his Red String before? And not just about who it was attached to- but about how he feels about the idea of a soulmate?”

“Admittedly, I have not,” Akaashi told him earnestly. “He always seemed so uncomfortable with the topic and I did not wish to push him past his comfort levels,”

“Do you know that Bokuto has anxiety?” Kuroo asked, “He refuses to see a doctor about it or talk with a therapist but Kenma and I have seen the really bad days- the ones that leave him overwhelmed to the point where he barely knows where he is and who he’s with,” Kuroo told him.

“He’s never been like that around me,” Keiji told Kuroo.

“That’s because it hasn’t happened as much since he met you,” Kuroo replied. “It’s been over a year since his anxiety has caused him to do something like this,”

“Something like this?”

“Disappear,” Kuroo said simply. “Normally when he gets anxious like this, he disappears from school and he’s come to my place.”

“Is he there now?” Keiji asked, wanting to get to the point.

“He’s anxious about you,” Kuroo said instead.

“Me?” Keiji asked, knowing that it sounded right.

“Tell me,” Kuroo stated. “Why are you looking for him?”

“Because,” Keiji said anxiously, “Because I need to tell him how I feel, and how I won’t let the Strings that connect us to our soulmates get in the way of that.”

Kuroo just looked at him. He knew something that Keiji did not. Keiji didn’t like that one bit. “Alright,” Kuroo said. “Let’s go,” He started walking off, Keiji could only follow, assuming that they were headed to Kuroo’s place.

~~~

Keiji blocked everything out as he walked. He only followed Kuroo’s form in front of him- tuning the rest of the world out. He was finally going to be able to see Bokuto again. He was finally going to be able to tell Bokuto just how he felt.

He felt a tug on his pinkie but ignored it. That String wasn’t going to distract him ever again.

They finally reached Kuroo’s home- Kuroo letting Keiji in as they both slipped their shoes off. “Kenma?” Kuroo called, getting no response. It didn’t look like it phased him as he walked into the living room to find Kenma on his PSP. It looked as though he hadn’t moved, and from the look on Kuroo’s face, he knew Kenma hadn’t moved either.

It took a mere minute for Kuroo to snatch the game from Kenma and hit the pause button. Kenma’s eyes glared up at Kuroo who looked completely unphased. “Eat,” Kuroo demanded, pocketing the game with one hand and pointing at Kenma’s untouched dinner with the other. 

“Come on, Akaashi, the guest room is this way,” Kuroo said as he walked off. Keiji noticed as he followed, that Kenma finally turned to the food on his plate, sulking a bit as he did so. They walked up a set of stairs and down a hall to what he guessed was the guest bedroom. Kuroo turned around, standing next to the door, and nodded his head toward Keiji’s destination, practically saying ‘go on in’. 

Keiji hesitantly put his hand on the doorknob. One deep breath. Bokuto was on the other side. The person that he wanted so desperately to be with for the rest of his life. The person he wished he was blessed with for a soulmate. Keiji’s perfect person. 

He closed his eyes and let out that deep breath. Then he opened the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	13. Bokuto... Where Did You Go? (Bokuto and Kuroo's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The POV of chapter 12 from Kuroo and Bokuto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! :)

Bokuto packed his things and left his house late at night when his parents were asleep. The first person he thought to call- “Kuroo?” He asked in a voice that cracked in emotion.

“Don’t move. I’m on my way. Send me your location,” was what he heard before the dial tone met his ears. Kuroo was at his side in minutes Grabbing the defeated-looking owl by the shoulder and pulling him against his side. “C’mon, let’s get you back to my place,”

Bokuto nodded, walking along with Kuroo as they took the familiar path to Kuroo’s place. He knew better than to ask before getting into the safety of his home otherwise Bokuto would run and hide in the nearest place he could- no matter where it was.

Kuroo led Bokuto to the familiar guest room- stocked with the extra blankets and as many clothes that Bokuto had brought over on previous visits. He changed into some of his spare pajamas and instantly went for the closet with an arm full of blankets. 

Kuroo watched the process, knowing the normality of it. He wasn’t sure why Bokuto hid, or why he chose closets of all places to hide, but something about it must have given him some form of comfort otherwise he wouldn’t be doing it.

“Do you want anything?” Kuroo asked once Bokuto had settled. He was sitting in his pile, blankets wrapped around him as he finally seemed to break down fully. Kuroo could see the tears brimming in his eyes.

“D-do you have hot chocolate?” Bokuto whispered.

“I’ll make some,” Kuroo said. “Hang tight, okay?” He waited for Bokuto to nod, watching as he forced his eyes tightly closed. Kuroo left Bokuto’s closet door open, the familiarity of the routine coming back to him. It’d been over a year since Bokuto had done this- had called needing a place to be. Yet the familiarity of the situation had him reacting to everything by memory.

Kuroo filled Kenma in as he made the cocoa, the gamer not looking up from the PSP but still taking the situation as seriously as all the other times. “You’ll be able to snap him out of it,” Kenma had assured him. “Just like the times before,”

Kuroo didn’t reply, only hoping that what Kenma said was true, He took one mug and handed it off to Kenma with a kiss to his forehead, taking two other mugs and heading back into the guest room. At this point, he barely should be thinking of the room as the guest bedroom and just start calling it Bokuto’s room.

Kuroo settled in the closet next to Bokuto, handing off the mug of cocoa and letting the Ace take a big drink before asking him, “What’s wrong?” That question- as always- was enough to send Bokuto spiraling. He broke down to tears, too soon he had exhausted himself into sleep.

Another step taken care of.

Kuroo moved the mugs out of the way and dragged Bokuto’s exhausted form onto the bed. He knew Bokuto enough to know that he’d probably been in a closet for days already. A good night’s sleep in an actual bed was going to pay off tomorrow.

Kuroo grabbed the blanket he knew that Bokuto favored from the floor of the closet, tossing it over the sleeping form on the bed before he moved to leave the room, both mugs of cocoa in his hands. He walked straight to the kitchen, passing Kenma in the living room who spoke up, “Out already?”

“Yeah,” Kuroo said, dumping out Bokuto’s now cold cocoa and moving to reheat his own. “Faster than normal. Whatever he’s dealing with must have really been bothering him for a while,”

“I mean he was crying for almost two hours before I finally stopped hearing it through the doors,” Kenma stated.

“Was it really that long?” Kuroo asked. Kenma only nodded. Kuroo joined him on the sofa with his freshly warmed hot chocolate, taking a mouthful before placing the mug on the coffee table and then leaning into Kenma.

“Any clue as to what it was this time?” Kenma asked.

“I have a hunch,” Kuroo said. Kenma didn’t show any particular interest but Kuroo knew that he was curious even as he focused on his game of Minecraft. “I’m thinking it has to do with his feelings for his team’s setter Akaashi Keiji- and thier String of Fate.”

“Do they share one?” Kenma asked.

“Bokuto hasn’t even told me that much, but I think they do,” Kuroo sighed. “I think Bokuto’s abandonment issues are causing some trouble in his relationship with Akaashi. He’s afraid to even start one thinking that he might leave,”

Kenma didn’t say anything in response, but both were clearly on the same page, thinking that Bokuto was really in denial of just how much someone actually cared about him.

~~~ 

Bokuto woke up with a massive headache the next morning. All that crying must have dehydrated him, his head pounding in response. He looked to the bedside table, groaning as the sun hit his eyes, rising higher in the sky. A glass of water awaited him and he grabbed it gratefully.

He drained it before moving to once again huddle into the closet.

“Kōtarō,” He heard Kuroo speak. He let out a whine, leaning his head against the closet door. 

“You know the routine. Shower, food, and then you can go back to the closet,”

Kuroo knew by now never to outright deny Bokuto his hiding place. It always made things worse, but he was likely to listen to what he was told if it meant he was allowed to go back with no resistance after said obligations were fulfilled.

Bokuto just nodded, headed for the shower, “I put your fresh clothes on the bathroom counter,” Kuroo called, watching Bokuto as he entered the bathroom. 20 minutes later had Kuroo calling Bokuto out for trying to sneak away to the closet.

It was another thing Boukuto always did, but he was able to get Bokuto settled at the table for breakfast fast enough. Bokuto inhaled what was offered to him before darting back to the closet to hide away. Kuroo gave him a good ten minutes before finally joining him in the closet.

Now they could start their talk.

~~~

Kuroo sighed. The same routine the whole week and he was no closer to getting Bokuto back to his old self. They had discussed what was bothering the Ace, but nothing seemed to be working the way it used to. He was at his witts end- until he got a call from Akaashi Keiji.

Kuroo knew that Keiji was really the only person who could help Bokuto this time.

He answered the phone, “Hello?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	14. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keiji and Bokuto have their long-awaited talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just for you Kenma. Just for you!
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Keiji took in a deep breath.

Then he pushed open the door. “Bokuto-san?” He whispered, walking closer to the closet once he saw the empty room. “Bokuto-san,” He said a bit louder, pulling the door to the closet open. Bokuto was fast asleep at the first look, blanket wrapped tightly around his shoulders as he laid, curled into a pile of clothes. 

Bokuto’s face was stained with dried tears, the tracks still visible, red-rimmed and bags under his closed eyes. His breathing was deep and even. Keiji sat down, leaning his back against the door of the closet.

He reached his left hand out, running his fingers through Bokuto’s (surprisingly) clean, soft hair. He watched as his Red String disappeared into the strands of black and white hair, mesmerized. Soon after, Bokuto started to stir out of his sleep.

“Bokuto-san,” Keiji spoke. Bokuto’s eyes popped open instantly, his body shooting up, blanket tumbling off his shoulders in the process.

Once the shock faded, Bokuto’s eyes instantly left Keiji’s and he refused to make contact again. “What are you doing here, Akaashi?” Bokuto asked quietly, wrapping his blanket back around his shoulders.

“I was worried about you, Bokuto-san,” he replied just as softly. “You’ve been gone over a week, I missed you,” he said earnestly. “Why did you leave? You just disappeared in the middle of the night and haven’t been back since…”

“I just felt- s-something going on with-” He took a deep breath. “With my String- a-and I p-panicked-” It was getting hard for Bokuto to breathe- a sign of a panic attack. Keiji instantly set to relieving some of the stress. He wrapped Bokuto in his arms, Bokuto’s head firmly in his shoulder as he ran a hand up and down his back.

“Breathe, Bokuto-san,” Keiji said softly, “just breathe in and out. Take your time.”

Keiji felt Bokuto’s hands reach and wrap around his back, grasping tightly at his t-shirt as he tried to calm down. They sat there for a bit, just breathing. Once he felt Bokuto was calm, he started to pull away, hoping to continue their conversation. Bokuto instantly wrapped his body in the blanket again, as if trying to hide away from Akaashi.

“What happened with your String?” Keiji asked.

“I woke up with a feeling in my stomach- my hands were really itchy. Before I knew it I was calling for the personal driver at a nearby convenience store,” Bokuto admitted.

“Do you know what it means?”

“I have an idea,” Bokuto nodded, not saying anything else.

“Kuroo-san said you were anxious because of me?” Keiji asked. He knew the answer but he wanted to make sure he knew why. He watched Bokuto nod, clearly too embarrassed and anxious to say anything. “Bokuto-san, I need you to tell me how you feel,” Keiji told him.

“I-” Bokuto tried to force the words out, but they were hard.

“Would it help if I went first?” Keiji asked after seeing Bokuto struggle so much. Bokuto nodded solemnly. “Alright,” Keiji let out a short breath in preparation. “I realized a few things the other night, and over the past few days,” Keiji told him.

“I was finally able to see my String- the night you disappeared from the training camp.” He admitted. Bokuto stiffened, but he continued. “I realized, especially after a talk with my mother and Konoha-san, that the String that I have- even though it doesn’t connect to you- won’t stop me from wanting to be with you, Bokuto-san,” Keiji admitted.

Bokuto stared up at him, finally making eye contact. “You are my everything, Bokuto-san. I don’t want a soulmate if you can’t be mine. You’re everything- I can’t find the proper words to express to you the depths of how I feel. You’re perfect. You’re my perfect,” Keiji told him, tears pooling in his eyes. He stared at Bokuto- waiting for his response. Waiting for SOMETHING that could give away what Bokuto would do- would say- next. 

“You- you don’t know who your String is connected to?” Bokuto asked. The question puzzled Keiji but he replied anyway.

“No,” he said. “I’ve kind of been refusing to look at it- acknowledge it…” As soon as he said that, he felt a tug on his left pinkie. His brow creased as he fumbled with his fingers.

“Something wrong?” Bokuto asked, noticing Keiji’s frustration.

“It’s moving,” He replied simply, “It’s trying to distract me from you. I refuse to let it win.”

Bokuto finally let out a laugh. “ I don’t think the String is moving on its own,” he told Keiji. “Someone on the other end is somehow affecting it, causing you to feel the movement- the itching feeling.

“I don’t like it. They’re trying to distract me from what’s in front of me,” 

“And that is?” Bokuto asked after letting out a low chuckle.

“You, Bokuto-san,” Keiji told him, resolve filling his tone. “You are right in front of me.”

“‘Kaashi? I don’t want you to leave,” Bokuto whispered.

“I’m not going anywhere, Bokuto-san,” Keiji promised. “Not now, not ever. You’re stuck with me. I’m stuck with you. There’s nobody I’d rather be with.”

“I love you,” Bokuto told him, “I’ve loved you since the moment I bumped into you. The moment I fell on my ass and looked up to see you standing above me.”

“How have you known that long???” Keiji asked, “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

“I didn’t want you to leave, I thought that - I mean, my parents- I couldn’t risk telling you and it being too much- having you walk away,”

“Kōtarō,” Keiji called. Bokuto looked shocked to hear his name but paid close attention. “I am not your parents. I’m not going anywhere. I wouldn’t have left you then, and I sure as hell won’t leave you now,” he assured.

“A second ago you asked me how I knew from the moment we met…” 

“I did,” Keiji said.

Bokuto took the blanket off, letting slip down his shoulders. Keiji watched, slightly confused but still paying complete attention to Bokuto. He felt another tug on his String and let out an annoyed grunt.

Bokuto unburied his hands from the blanket, tears slipping down his face as he lifted his left hand and held it in front of Akaashi. Keiji was confused at first until his eyes focused on a little Red String tied around Bokuto’s pinkie.

It was so dark he almost hadn’t seen it.

Bokuto wrapped the String around his right hand and fingers, giving it a little tug. Keiji looked down when he felt the tug on his own pinkie, searching. Following the Red String as it went from his pinkie, looped around in their laps, and attached itself directly to Bokuto’s pinkie.

“You…” Keiji spoke in shock, “You knew,”

“I did,” Bokuto said, hiding his hands in shame. 

“Why didn’t you say anything? Why did you run away if you knew?”

“I knew I had to wait for you to see it. But every day I waited was dreadful because I didn’t know if you would leave once you found out. It was a relief when I figured out that you couldn’t see your String on your birthday. It meant I got more time with you,”

“You’ll have the rest of our lives with me,” Keiji told him, “As long as that’s what you want,” 

“I want that more than you know,” Bokuto and Keiji were face to face now. They didn’t realize it but they had been getting closer and closer to each other as the conversation went on. Now, they were face to face and the tension went from an anxiety-ridden aura to one of electrifying passion. “I didn’t fall in love with you because the String connected me to you, "‘Kaashi,” Bokuto admitted. “I mean, I loved you from the start, but knowing you and being with you, being in your presence, volleyball with you- hell even breathing with you... all of it is so much better with you there. Everything was so much brighter.”

“How is that even possible, Bokuto-san? You’re the sun, you always shined so brightly. You’re a guiding light, I’m the opposite, like the moon. I don’t see how-”

“Of course you don’t ‘Kaashi. You’ve always underestimated your importance to other people,” Bokuto told him. “But dammit, ‘Kaashi. You’re just so- so amazing and all the things that make the world that much better. I don’t want to move through life if you aren’t there by my side,”

“You don’t have to walk through your life alone anymore, Kōtarō. We can take the journey together, I’m going to be there every step, climbing to the highest point with you. Cheering for you. I’m going to be there loving you until we die, and even then- even then my love for you won’t end.” Keiji said, showing off the String on his pinkie. “You’re mine, I’m yours,” He declared.

Bokuto nearly knocked Keij over with the force of his hug, going into another sobbing fit. Keiji just wrapped his arms around him and stuck his nose into Bokuto’s shoulder. Bokuto was where he belonged. Places, future plans, colleges, everything that had once been so important in his mind faded away. As long as Bokuto was there, he was going to be happy for the rest of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	15. A True Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto and Keiji return to the Akaashi family residence where Keiji's mother awaits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! :)

“Bokuto-san, let's go home,” Keiji said. “Mom is worried about you, plus you’ve been sleeping in a closet for a week now. You should get some proper rest,”

“Kōtarō,” Bokuto whispered.

“Hm?” Keiji questioned.

“Can you call me Kōtarō?” He asked.

Keiji pondered for a moment. “Only in private,” he confirmed.

“Okay!” Bokuto replied cheerfully, voice its normal booming sound.

“And…” he continued, catching the Ace’s attention. “Only if you call me Keiji,” Bokuto’s eyes shined bright as Keiji said this, clearly more than happy to oblige. ‘Let’s get your things and go home,” 

They packed what Bokuto had brought into the duffle on the bed and walked from the room. They made their way down the hall and Kuroo was standing by the front door as they approached. “I assume you’ve got yourselves figured out now,” He said with his usual smirk.

Bokuto’s cheeks just turned a brilliant shade of pink in response but Keiji replied in a flat tone, “Yes, and Kōtarō is coming home with me,” Keiji confirmed. Bokuto’s head had whipped to look at Akaashi, knowing the challenging tone in his voice and shocked that his first name was used so freely in front of someone he knew Keiji didn’t know well.

“Is that right,” Kuroo said in a mocking tone only to get a pillow thrown into his face by Kenma. 

“Stop,” Kenma said simply, walking up to the group, eyes still on his game.

“I didn’t do anything,” Kuroo protested.

“Sure you didn’t,” Kenma argued back, finally pausing his game. “So the closet has been vacated, I see. Kuroo will throw everything into the wash for next time,” Kenma said simply.

“Oh- um. Thanks,” Bokuto replied sheepishly. “Sorry for imposing.”

“You weren’t imposing,” Kuroo told him, smacking the back of his head as he walked away from the door, Kenma following. “Just feel better and go to practice. Nekoma is going to kick your ass,”

“Don’t bet on it!” Bokuto yelled, all but sprinting out the door with a, “C’mon ‘Kaashi! We need to practice so we can kick Kuroo’s ass!”

“Kōtarō it’s 7 pm on a weekend-” Keiji told him, walking behind after closing the front door. “Practice isn’t until Monday, and you need some good sleep,” Bokuto just looked back, eyes beaming, and Keiji doesn’t think he’d ever seen them so bright. He smiled back at Bokuto, glad that he was able to make Bokuto happy.

“‘Kaashi! You’re SMILING!” Bokuto called, pausing to look at Keiji. “I can’t wait to get home,” He told Keiji with a huge smile.

~~~

“Mom! I’m back and I-” Keiji called out, pausing when he saw his mother poke her head out from the kitchen only to sprint over.

“Kōtarō!” She called, wrapping her arms around him. “I was worried! Don’t disappear like that again!” She told him firmly.

“S-sorry,” Bokuto replied. She just smiled at him, trying to tell him that he was alright now, that everything was going to be perfectly fine.

“I’m glad you were able to find him and bring him home,” She said, turning to Keiji. “I assume everything is out in the open now?” She asked. They both nodded, a sheepish smile on Bokuto’s face and Keiji's normal blank expression.

“Have you eaten dinner? I know it’s late but we haven’t eaten yet and dinner is ready,” She told them. Bokuto smiled and shook his head, happy to head off to wash his hands and join Keiji and his mother for dinner.

~~~

“Kōtarō,” Keiji’s mother said. “I’ve been thinking this for a while but… you should move in with us.” Keiji and Bokuto both just stared. “You don’t have to answer right away, but Kōtarō, being here would be so much better for you. You’d have a parent who is always around. I can’t do much else for you, but I can make sure that you and Keiji both have a happy environment to come home to,”

Bokuto just nodded, unsure of what else to say.

~~~

After dinner, Bokuto and Keiji had retreated to the bedroom, Keiji had originally planned to work on homework. Bokuto however, had requested a movie so he had settled in and put one on. He hadn’t however, expected it to be Bokuto crying on him as he laid there, stroking his hair.

It wasn’t completely unexpected. Bokuto still seemed pretty down and his moods flipped like a switch. Keiji knew by now that he was upset and crying over his family life at home. “I-I,” Bokuto spoke between hiccups. “W-want to l-live with y-you,” He studdered out, shaking like a leaf. “Y-you’re my home, n-not that e-empty h-house,”

“Okay, Kōtarō, okay. We’ll talk about everything tomorrow,” Keiji said softly, kissing his forehead. It was burning, probably from all the crying. It was likely that he was dehydrated again. “Let me get you some water, then we can go to sleep, okay?” Keiji got up, reluctantly pulling away from Bokuto to get him some fresh, cold water.

He walked into the kitchen where his mother sat with her laptop. “He’s going to live here,” Keiji said as he filled the glass. 

“He’s crying again?” She asked sorrowfully.

“Yeah,” Keiji said. “He’s on the brink of falling asleep so I was getting him some water before he falls asleep dehydrated. 

“Good idea,” She told him. “Goodnight, sweetie.”

“Night, Mom,” he replied, walking off with the glass of water.

Bokuto was almost completely asleep when Akaashi got back to his room. He helped Bokuto sit up before handing him the glass of water. Bokuto knocked the whole thing back in one go, handing the cup off to Keiji with tired eyes. 

Keiji just placed the cup on the nightstand before crawling into bed and turning the light off. He waited for Bokuto, who tucked himself against Keiji’s chest. Normally, Keiji was the one being pulled into Bokuto, but today, Bokuto just seemed like he needed and wanted to be held. Keiji was more than happy to comply, running his fingers through Bokuto’s hair in an attempt to help the Ace to sleep.

Bokuto let out a soft, content sigh, tightening his grip around Keiji’s waist. Keiji tightened his grip on Bokuto in reply. He’d protect him at all costs. He’d be the one to make Bokuto happy- he swore it to himself, and to Bokuto. Keiji fell asleep that night to Bokuto’s soft breathing and the quiet TV as it continued the movie that they had tried to watch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	16. Everything Led To You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto and Akaashi move Bokuto's things into the Akaashi family home and they settle down together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There'll be about 1 or two more chapters just to close things off. Originally this was going to be the last one but I wanted to do a chapter about the team reacting to their news and mention the future a bit as they move on with their lives.
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Keiji was helping Bokuto pack up his things, plenty of boxes already stuffed into the back of Akaahsi’s mom’s car. They’d have to make a few more trips but it was worth it if it meant giving Bokuto the steady home life that every person needed and deserved.

~~~

They were making thier last trip, all the boxes in the back of the car as Bokuto checked around for the rest of his things. He grabbed the duffle bag and let out a sigh. His old bedroom was completely empty, the walls stripped bare of all posters, metals, and trophies packed away along with the rest of his life from this house.

Keiji grabbed his hand, expressing everything through that simple touch. He smiled and Bokuto, Bokuto smiled back. They turned and walked out of the room, Bokuto’s note left on the desk, addressing his parents.

They walked down the stairs and were almost to the front door when it swung open. Bokuto’s parents walked through the door. They saw his duffle bag and Bokuto’s dad instantly connected the dots. “Where are you going, Kōtarō?’ He asked, voice angry.

“I’m leaving,” Bokuto replied quietly, eyes unable to meet his fathers.

“Like hell. Who’s this?” He replied, looking to Keiji, glaring at thier interlaced fingers.

“I am Akaashi Keiji, your son’s soulmate,” Keiji said with no reserve.

“You didn’t tell us that you’d met your soulmate, Kōtarō,” Bokuto’s mother finally spoke up, eyes wide.

“You didn’t ask. Nor were you here for me to tell you. I’m done being alone,” Bokuto told her, glaring at both of them. “I’m moving in with ‘Kaashi- Keiji. He and his mother were there for me when you two weren’t. I refuse to live like this anymore, feeling unwanted, alone, and unloved.”

“No,” Bokuto’s Dad said firmly. “If you leave this house now, your future- the college you choose to go to- I will pay for none of it.”

“I never wanted your money. I wanted your love and attention” Bokuto cried.

“Be that as it may-” His dad continued. “If you leave now, you will have no way to ensure your future.”

“Kōtarō doesn’t need you. He doesn’t need your money. If you paid any attention at all, you’d know he has multiple offers for full rides to college, on a volleyball scholarship. Not only is he one of the best Ace’s in the prefecture, which you guys would know if you paid even the slightest bit of attention- but he’s one of the best people that I’ve ever know. He’s got a bright future ahead of him- no thanks to either of you.” Keiji said, blood boiling, his hand gripping Bokuto’s even tighter. “He’s going to take us to nationals again this year, he’s going to college on a volleyball scholarship- and then he’s going to play for Japan’s national team.”

With that said, Keiji dragged Bokuto right out the door, past his parents, and straight to his mother’s car. He practically shoved Bokuto into the back seat, joining him right before stuffing himself against Bokuto’s chest, inhaling slowly in an attempt to calm down. “‘Kaashi?” Bokuto asked, wrapping his arms around the Setter.

“They piss me off,” He sighed out quietly. Bokuto just hugged him closer, pressing his face into Keiji’s hair as the car finally started to move. Keiji’s mother remained silent the whole ride, not wanting to disturb the moment, even as she looked upon it with the utmost- bitter happiness. Sure it shouldn’t have to be this way, Bokuto deserved to have a family that was attentive and caring just like he was, and yet, she couldn’t help but be happy that she was able to do something to help the kid, and to make sure he and her son remained happy for as long as she could.

~~~

Unpacking was a bit of an ordeal. Keiji’s mother had given them the master bedroom, insisting even when they tried to say no. “You two need more space than I do,” she claimed. They’d spend a few days getting Keiji’s room cleaned out and swapped with his mother’s, then moved to get Bokuto’s things packed up and moved into thier place. 

Bokuto was slow at unpacking, looking at every little thing with a flurry of emotions running through his eyes. As he unpacked, Keiji had to encourage him to put the posters on the walls, the trophies on the shelf. “I want you to make this your room too, Kōtarō, that means hanging the posters and making the space just as much your own. I want to be completely surrounded by you,” 

Bokuto smiled brightly at that, unpacking and decorating with new vigor after that. Within a few hours, he was completely unpacked, sharing a look with Keiji as he closed the dresser drawers. They were sharing a dresser, though, with the amount of space it provided, they had no trouble sharing it, and the closet.

Bokuto sat on the bed and let out a long sigh, his fingers entangled with themselves as they rested on his lap, his head back and his eyes closed. Keiji was worried, and yet Bokuto seemed so much more calm and relaxed. He wondered if Bokuto would cry again tonight. 

It was something that Keiji knew was valid, Bokuto could be sad about things like this for the rest of his life and Keiji would know that what he was feeling was valid. He only hoped that one day, Bokuto wouldn’t cry, that Keiji could fill him with enough happiness to drain all the sadness out.

He walked over to Bokuto and stood in front of him, “Kōtarō,” he said quietly, pulling Bokuto’s eyes to him. Bokuto’s hands moved from their position in his lap to grab Keiji’s. Keiji used the opening to crawl his way onto Bokuto’s lap, his legs placed on either side of Bokuto’s hips. 

Bokuto’s hands found their way around Keiji’s waist to support and keep him in place as Keiji’s arms wrapped around Bokuto’s shoulders, fingers tangling in Bokuto’s loose strands. He rested his head on Bokuto’s shoulder, holding him tight.

Bokuto’s grip tightened in response, his nose going into the crook of Keiji’s neck, inhaling peacefully. “Keiji?” Bokuto whispered. Keiji lifted his head, making eye contact with Bokuto, listening intently. “I love you,” Bokuto told him, eyes shining. 

“I love you too,” Keiji replied, it had never been so easy to say, but it got easier by the day.

“You know, my life has been empty, volleyball the only thing filling the void for so long. But if that path is what brought me to you, I would walk it over and over again. Because… Keiji… walking the path that I did, the one I would take every time… all of the things that happened along the way… Everything Led To You.”

Keiji wasn’t sure how to respond. His eyes were on the brink of tears. He couldn’t ask for a more perfect soulmate. Fate had given him such a gift, and he was going to spend the rest of his life cherishing it. He leaned in and captured Bokuto’s lips with his own. He still didn’t have the words to describe to Bokuto just how much he loved him, so he would just show him instead, in any way he could.

When they broke apart, Bokuto’s eyes were shining again. It seems he’d been able to understand Keiji’s message loud and clear. Bokuto pulled him into another hug, cherishing the feel of Keiji’s chest against his, Keiji’s head on his shoulder, Keiji’s smell as he pressed his nose into the crook of his neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	17. The Team and The Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto and Akaashi have a few things to tell the team. How will it turn out?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WElcome to the last chapter~ its soft and fluffy~
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Bokuto was a little nervous, Keiji could see it. He was also very excited. They were going back to school today- Bokuto’s first day back since the training camp. Keiji could tell he was nervous for multiple reasons. 

Keiji could feel Bokuto’s anxious energy in his own body- he assumed it was an effect of their bond from the Red String. He was anxious about how the team would react, though that didn’t dull down the excitement and love he felt at being attached to Keiji. The nerves were present because he wasn’t sure how to tell the team.

Keiji couldn’t help but find it cute.

~~~

Walking into the gym gave even Keiji a feeling of excitement. He wasn’t used to the rush but he couldn’t wait for the team to know that Bokuto was his- that he was Bokuto’s. They walked through the gym to get to the locker rooms to change, Bokuto in a nervous silence the whole time.

Practice started, as usual, their warm-up beginning and then they formed their stretching circle. Keiji thought now was the perfect time- his Ace and Captain finally seemed to be relaxed and his head was completely focused on the practice.

What a shame it would be for Keiji to break that focus and embarrass Bokuto a bit with a sudden confession Keiji thought- a slight smirk on his face. Unfortunately, that thought and his facial reaction wasn’t missed by the other players. 

“What’s that smirk for, Akaashi?” Konoha-san asked. Keiji paled a bit at being caught but figured now was the best time to tell the team. Plus if he got to see Bokuto turn pink then it would be well worth it.

No time like the present he thought as he sent Bokuto a devilish smirk. Bokuto turned bright red, the team instantly calling it out. “Woah- Bokuto you’re blushing!”

“‘Kaashi don’t-” Bokuto stuttered before Keiji cut him off.

“Bokuto-san and I are soulmates,” Keiji blurted, Bokuto’s blush intensifying. “And we’re together,” he finished bluntly.

“‘Kaashiiiii!” Bokuto whined, covering his face with his hands, shaking his head slightly.

“Took you long enough,” Konoha replied. “Bokuto chill, it's not like we didn’t suspect or know that you were interested in him.”

“How’d you know?” Bokuto mumbled, face still covered.

“Is he really asking us that?” Tatsuki asked.

“You used to disappear during lunch, walk home alone, it's like you were afraid to spend time with anyone,” Yamato said.

“But when Akaashi joined the team, you started disappearing but showing up next to him at lunch, going to his classroom and walking him to and from classes. You even walked home with him every day,” Konoha replied.

“We all knew something was going on,” Tatsuki said with finality.

“Good for you guys,” Yamato said. “It’s great that you’ve both finally gotten when you need and want!” Everyone nodded at his reply, smiling as they continued their stretches.

“Um,” Bokuto said, finally letting his eyes look at everyone else, hands still covering the rest of his face. “While we are, um, talking,” Bokuto started shyly. “There’s something you guys should know,” He let out a breath, leaning into Keiji when he felt Akaashi pull close to his side.

“Bokuto-san are you sure? You don’t have to tell-”

“It’s alright ‘Kaashi,” Bokuto assured. “I want us to be the strongest team possible. The only way to do that is for them to know just what has been going on. I don’t want it to affect the team anymore,”

“If you’re sure,” Keiji said, sitting behind Bokuto and pulling the Ace against him. He wrapped his arms around Bokuto’s waist, expressing his support by nuzzling his face into Bokuto’s strong back. Bokuto let out a soft sigh, taking in that comfort. 

Then… he started talking.

~~~

“Bokuto! Why didn’t you tell us anything?” Kohona asked as they crowded their sobbing Ace. Keiji was hoarding the bigger boy against his chest. The team was huddled against him, hoping to be able to bring Bokuto some comfort and support from their end.

Nobody was sure how practice had turned into the Ace’s confession circle but they were certainly glad that it had. They were glad to finally know Bokuto the way they should have from the beginning.

Keiji could see Bokuto was finally calming down and getting restless. “Bokuto-san how about we practice? Can’t kick Kuroo’s ass without it, now can we?”

“No!” Bokuto replied in a booming voice. “Let’s go!” He shouted, springing up from his spot. Keiji watched in bliss. He loved how easy it was to make Bokuto happy again. Sure it was important for Bokuto to express his feelings, but Keiji truly loved the glow Bokuto had when he was really happy.

“Bokuto-san!” Keiji spoke loudly as he stood. Everyone watched as Bokuto looked to his setter. “Lead us to Nationals!” He said with a huge smile.

The team looked and waited for their Ace’s reply. His face grew in confidence before he finally replied. “That’s a guarantee!” he shouted. “Toss for me!” He threw a ball to Keiji. “Let’s get to work everyone!”

Everyone set up their practice and went through the natural routine with ease. Everyone worked even harder than before. If Bokuto was going to be working through everything to make sure they got to nationals- it was only fair that his team worked just as hard and supported him all the way.

Bokuto drew everyone’s attention as he hit his spikes with a newer, more intense strength than before, the loud sound of the ball bouncing off the walls as it connected to the floor, making it inside the line as he practiced his line shots against a triple block.

Everyone just stared. First at the ball, then at Bokuto as he ran to Akaashi with the blissful expression and screaming “Hey hey hey!” in excitement. Their Ace would lead the way, even though his path was so much harder than theirs had been.

They all wondered how strong Bokuto truly was- not just physically but mentally. How had he been able to do it all? Even though they didn’t know- they knew that Bokuto had walked a hard path and finally had gotten his reward for it. He was going to be with his Soulmate for the rest of his life. They all knew it. They all looked at the couple with soft eyes. 

Bokuto Kōtarō was a vision of strength. He would lead the way to a bright future- one that would truly make a difference for anyone who grew up with twisted and horrid roots as he had. 

Their Ace turned to them with a bright smile before taking a ball with him to the back of the court, ready to have Akaashi toss another to him. They watched that strong back- the back of their Ace- light shining around him. 

With new resolve, they started practicing again. They all jumped their highest. Put up their best blocks, smiling when their Ace managed to break through every one of their blocks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)

**Author's Note:**

> See you soon! ;)


End file.
